Fourteen Days
by Fate Believer
Summary: What difference does fourteen days make really? AU MD
1. Day One

Title: Fourteen Days

Author: Fate Believer

Summary: What difference does fourteen days make really? AU.

Pairing: M/D

Rating: M

Disclaimer: Shonda Rhimes is God. They all belong to her and the nice folks over at ABC.

A/N: I know, I know, I'm working on like 3 different projects right now, but I promise to have updates to all of them before the end of the week. This just wouldn't go away, so I must get it out of my head.

Day One

Meredith Grey didn't like to think of herself as an alcoholic. It was on night's like these though that she considered taking herself to an AA meeting. If for no other reason than to get her problems off her chest. It was her first night back in Seattle, a city she never really had cared for much, despite the fact she had lived her almost all her life. Leaving Boston behind hadn't been easy, but it was easier to manage her mother's estate from the city where her mother's nursing home was. She had visited with her mom this afternoon and it hadn't gone well at all. Which was what brought Meredith here. She didn't want to go home to a house full of her mother's things just yet. At least the alcohol would dull the pain a bit.

She liked this little place. It was right across from the hospital where in two weeks she would be starting her seven year residency. She was finally going to be a doctor. Being the doctor of Ellis Grey wasn't easy. After all, the woman _was_ one of the first major league women surgeons. Sometimes it felt like there was more pressure on her because she was Ellis Grey's daughter. Which meant she had to work that much harder to prove to everyone, her mother included, that she was going to make a fantastic surgeon.

" What'll it be , " a friendly voice asked and Meredith looked up into the kind eyes of the bartender.

" Tequila , " Meredith replied with a slight smile.

" Ouch. That bad huh , " the bartender teased her as he poured the shot.

Meredith merely laughed and nodded.

" Haven't seen you in here before. I'm Joe , " he extended his hand to shake and she took it with a smile.

" Meredith , " she responded.

" Well, tell ya what Meredith. Since it's your first time in here and all, this one's on the house , " Joe winked at her as he walked away.

" Thanks , " Meredith called out to his retreating back.

Derek hated first days. He hated not knowing anyone and not knowing his way around a hospital. He was a surgeon and surgeons were control freaks. Which was a difficult thing to be when you didn't know anything about your surroundings. He had met with Richard early this morning to get his hospital credentials and to find out where his office was going to be located. That had been the first sour point of the day. His office. Richard had most certainly exaggerated when he had been talking about what office Derek would be using. It was the size of a closet. Of course, when he had gone to confront Richard about it, he was told that the Chief of Surgery was mysteriously out of the hospital for the rest of the day.

Now, he couldn't believe he'd given up a Park Avenue private practice in Manhattan for a closet sized office in Seattle. Derek had liked his life back in New York. Well, except for the part where his wife had cheated on him with his best friend. He nursed his scotch, hoping to chase that thought away. No, the move to Seattle had been a good one. One that was necessary. He needed to get away from Addison and Mark, to get away from his failed marriage. Addison loved New York too much to ever consider coming to Seattle. Besides, it wasn't like he told her where he was going anyways. He had just simply waited for her to start her shift before going into the house and packing up everything he wanted to take with him. He had bought himself some land out away from the city. Derek liked nature and unfortunately bonding with nature didn't happen much in Manhattan.

Now, here he sat, drinking away his misery in a little bar across from the very same hospital that he would be working at. Not very smart if you're actually trying to get away from your problems. No, he decided. The best way to get away from his problems was to find a distraction.

Joe had watched Meredith slam back six shots of tequila back to back and he felt his own stomach turn. If there was one thing he couldn't tolerate liquor wise, it was tequila. He didn't know how people did it. She didn't even take it with lime or salt. No, she shot it naked. He cringed. She wasn't going to be feeling too well in the morning. Tonight, it seemed like all his customers were miserable. Little Miss Meredith with her tequila and Guy whose name he did not know at the other end of the bar who had been drinking scotch all night. They made a perfect pair. What was that saying? Misery loves company.

She was working on her seventh shot when Joe put another one down in front of her. He merely shrugged and pointed to the guy at the end of the bar. Her eyes traveled to where his finger was pointing and it was then she saw him. He was hot. At least in her eyes. She didn't think the alcohol had much to do with that. She was sure if she was sober, he would still be hot. He had dark unruly hair and even from where she was sitting she could see the clear blue color of his eyes. He smiled at her charmingly and raised his glass to her. She did the same and quickly turned up both shots.

She excused herself to go to the ladies room a few moments later, her bladder all but screaming at her. It was on her way back to the bar she spotted the dartboard. She grinned. Finally, something she could take her aggression out on. She quickly made her way to the bar to ask Joe for the darts. He looked almost hesitant, but he handed them over. She understood. She wasn't sure she'd want someone like her throwing sharp pointy objects in her state, she mused. The stranger still sat at the other end of the bar, but as she walked towards the dartboard she could feel his eyes on her.

Amazingly, she managed to keep all the darts on the board. Joe kept bringing her shots of tequila, courtesy of the stranger. By shot number twelve, she was well past buzzed. Her hand was poised and ready to throw another round when a warm hand closed over hers. She didn't have to turn around to see who it was. She had seen the handsome man moving towards her out of the corner of her eye.

" It'll work better if you throw it like this , " his voice whispered into her ear. His breath was hot against her neck and she shivered. Score one for him. Along with being totally hot, his voice was incredibly sexy.

Together, they pulled back and the dart released from her hand. Bull's eye. She grinned. She threw the rest of the darts, all of them precariously close to her one bull's eye. Meredith stepped away from him and went to the board to collect them. She walked back slowly, finally getting a good look at the man. She had been right. Totally hot. She extended her hand and offered him the darts.

" Wanna play , " she asked huskily.

" Do I ever , " was the reply she got.

He had found his distraction. She came in the shape of tiny little blonde with dazzling blue eyes. Not normally his type, but having watched her, there was something about her he could relate too. Maybe it was the look she had. It was the same one he knew he had. Like the weight of the world was on his shoulders. He had beckoned the bartender over and asked what she was drinking, then told him to put whatever else she ordered on his tab for the rest of the night. He had watched as the man had delivered her next shot and pointed towards him. He raised his glass in salute and watched in amusement as the woman downed the shot without even flinching. He watched her get up a few moments later and he was disappointed, thinking she was leaving. Then, he watched her heads towards the ladies room and he breathed a sigh of relief.

She returned to the bar to ask the bartender something and he watched the man hand her over a handful of darts. Ah, so she was a dart player. He watched in curiosity as she took whatever aggressions she had out on the board. For such a small thing, she had one hell of an arm. All of them managed to wind up on the board, but no where near close to a bull's eye. It was then he decided to make his move. He crept up slowly behind her and closed his hand around hers as she was poised to throw another one. He expected her to turn around and tell him to get lost, but she didn't.

" It'll work better if you throw it like this , " he had whispered into her ear and he felt her shiver. That was a good thing right?

He was pleased when they threw back and released, that the dart landed dead center of the board. She threw the rest by herself and then went to collect them. He watched her walk to the board, eyes trailing over the curves of her body. When she turned around to face him though, he was struck by just how beautiful she actually was. She stopped in front of her, hand extended and full of darts.

" Wanna play , " she asked him huskily.

" Do I ever , " was his reply as he took the objects from her hand.

Hours later, they stumbled from the bar, bodies fused together. His hands were tangled in her hair as her mouth attacked his viciously. Her teeth nipped at his bottom lip, but he gave back as good as he got. They stopped long enough to climb into the cab he was sure the bartender called for them. She had broken away for air long enough to give the cab driver an address before she was back on him. He almost felt sorry for the guy. Almost.

When they finally made it to what he assumed was her house, it took them a good fifteen minutes to even get inside. He couldn't keep his hands off of her while she was fishing for her keys to unlock the door and apparently she was easily distracted. After what seemed like forever, they finally managed to stumble into the house. He had her pinned up against the door, holding her up with her legs locked around his waist. Clothes were torn in their hurry to get them off and ended up discarded on the floor as he carried her up the stairs. She would break away long enough to tell him where to go before her mouth would be on his again or kissing whatever patch of skin was available. That in itself was driving him mad.

He managed to get open the door to what he assumed was her bedroom without dropping her and they made their way precariously towards the bed. His shirt was already off and hers had been lost long ago, along with her bra. He dropped her on the bed, wasting no time in covering her body with his. She laughed drunkenly and rolled them over to where she was on top, her hands pulling feverishly at his belt. The last coherent thought he had was pulling a condom from his wallet.


	2. Day Two

Derek rolled over and groaned in frustration when he heard his pager go off. He opened his eyes and looked down to see the tiny little blonde from last night curled up against him. She didn't even stir as the insistent beeping continued. Carefully, he extracted his arm from beneath her and reached for his pager. It was the hospital. Dammit. Slowly, he sat up and scrubbed his hands over his eyes. God his head hurt. Which made sense when he thought of how much alcohol he had consumed the night before. Briefly, he considering waking her, not wanting to be the guy who was gone by the time she woke up, but he decided against it.

He reached for his pants and pulled them on as he stood up. His eyes searched the room for something to write with and something to write on. His eyes spotted a piece of blank paper and he smiled, victorious. There was a pen on her nightstand and he hastily scribbled a note and left it on the pillow beside her. He took one last look at the woman, fascinated by the lock of hair that fell across her face. His hand reached out to brush it away and his thumb trailed over her cheek. His pager beeped again and he silenced it quickly before hurrying it out of the room to find the rest of his clothes and be on his way.

Meredith slept like the dead. Literally. When she woke up, she realized she was alone. Which was odd because she was fairly certain that she had brought the hot guy from the bar home with her last night and participated in some mind blowing sex. It was just as well, she figured. She hated kicking them out the next morning. Hated that look of rejection on their face when they realized that they had been nothing more than her comfort for the evening. She rolled over, clutching her hand when she felt something rough against her face. Blearily, she opened her eyes. There was a note. With a sigh, she sat up in the bed pulling the sheet against her chest and picked it up. Her eyes scanned over it quickly and she was amused. She had written many notes like this in her time. It was a polite way of ducking out of awkward situations.

_Last night was great. Hope to see you again sometime soon. _

Yeah. That sounded like something she would totally write. Still, her eyes trailed over the messy scrawl and she sighed out loud.

_The man even had sexy handwriting, she thought._

Which was about the time the nausea kicked in. She hurried to the bathroom and proceeded to empty the contents of her stomach. Drinking was great. Hangovers were not. She fumbled around in the medicine cabinet until she found a bottle of aspirin. She popped the pills in her mouth and turned on the water faucet, sticking her head under it to wash them down. Deciding that a hot shower and coffee would probably help, she made her way downstairs. She grinned, amused, as she saw the trail of clothes that were strewn all over. Oh yes, her head might hurt, but the sex had been fantastic.

Joe wasn't all that surprised to see the man back at the bar that night. He ordered the same thing, but he didn't look quite as tortured as he did the night before. Joe figured it had something to do with the little blonde, Meredith. They had practically been molesting each other at closing time. He was used to seeing things like that, but those two...man those two had some serious chemistry. The looks he had seen them exchanging spoke volumes. It was like the air crackled around them. Joe liked to watch people. You could learn a lot from watching people he had long ago discovered. Besides, it helped to pass the time.

He watched the man take his drink and make his way to a table in a dark corner. He didn't know why he kept referring to him as man. His name was Derek Shepard. He had gotten that from his credit card when he had run it the night before. It had been quite some time those two had run up the night before and Derek had tipped him well. So he had called a cab for the two of them, knowing that neither of them were in any shape to drive. Besides, he mused, he didn't know what would have caused them to wreck. The alcohol or the fact they couldn't keep their hands off each other.

Meredith had taken a cab to go visit her mother that afternoon since she had left her car at the little bar across from the hospital. Today had actually been a good day for her mother, which brightened her mood considerably. At least her mom had known who she was today. She hated the fact she was the only one who knew about her mother's condition and she hated even more that she couldn't talk about it with anyone. Her mother would be mortified if she thought anyone knew that she was anything less than Ellis Grey, world renowned female surgeon.

So she had gone back home and slowly began to sort through her mother's things. She called around and got prices on storage units to house her mother's things and then she scoured the paper looking for apartments. It wasn't like she didn't like her mother's house. She had grown up in this house. It was her home. Well, had been her home until she had to live in it without her mother. Now, it seemed empty. Cold.

It was just hard being in a house that reminded her so much of her mother's greatness. Now, to look at her mother, you would never know. You'd never just what a spectacular woman she'd been, only to fall prey to one of the worst kind of diseases. One that ate away at your identity and your memories. No, Meredith knew she had to sell the house. So it had been with a heavy heart that she had called the real estate agent that afternoon.

What had started out as a decent day quickly turned sour. Meredith felt anxious so she called another cab to take her to pick up her car. She was after all going to need it sooner or later. Besides, she wanted to thank Joe, the bartender, for calling her and her companion a cab. In Boston, most bartenders really could have cared less. She trudged into the bar slowly, heading straight towards the bar. What the hell, she decided. She was already there. Might as well have another drink. The realtor had really dampened her spirits earlier. That was her mother's house. It was like having to sell off her memories.

" You came back, I see , " Joe greeted her warmly.

" Well, I actually came to pick up my car and say thanks, but I really could use a drink , " Meredith responded to him.

" Sure, no problem. Same thing , " Joe smiled at her as he reached for a shot glass.

" Tequila's my poison , " she responded sheepishly.

" I'll keep that in mind , " he laughed as he poured her drink and slid it across the bar to her.

Meredith just grinned and turned up her shot glass.

Derek hadn't had a good day. It had started off well enough. After all, he woke up in bed next to a beautiful woman. It was when he got to work that things had gone downhill. Richard was still avoiding him. He had met the head of Cardio, Preston Burke, who he immediately he decided was far too arrogant and cocky for his taste. Not to mention he had been overrun with patients from the ER. Apparently today was the day to go out and get a head injury.

Now, he sat in the same bar, nursing the same drink as the night before. Only difference was he was sitting alone in a corner, shredding up a napkin. People milled around him, laughing and talking, but he tuned them out. He wouldn't lie. He missed New York. It was where his family was, where his life had been for so long. Now, he was alone in a strange city, all of his former life gone. He had called his mother and father to let him know he was okay, but had quickly hung up the phone when the conversation turned to Addison.

His parents believed in second chances, telling him that Addison had been a wreck and that she really truly seemed to regret her actions. Derek just couldn't bring himself to forgive her. He and Mark had gone through med school together, had done their residency together. Hell, Mark had been his best man at him and Addison's wedding for christ's sake. He just couldn't wrap his mind around the fact they could do that to him and more importantly, he couldn't shake the image of walking into his own bedroom to find his wife straddling his best friend, lost in the throws of passion. On his favorite flannel sheets no less.

Derek scowled when he noticed his glass was empty. He shuffled to the bar, keeping his head ducked down. The bartender, whose name he found out was Joe, merely poured him another glass and pushed in his direction. He looked up to say thanks when he noticed the same tiny blonde from this morning sitting at the other end of the bar again. Three empty glasses sat in front of her and her head was down. He wondered if he should go say something. He probably looked like a real jerk to her, having left without waking her. In the end, he decided to just let it be and went back to his table in the corner.

Joe was surprised to say the least when Derek didn't approach Meredith. He thought for sure he would see more out of those two. The way they had acted the night before...he was certain it would be more than a one night stand. Besides, Derek didn't strike him as the love 'em and leave 'em type. Sure, the guy was good looking, not that he was gay or anything, but for some reason, Joe just didn't get that kind of vibe from him.

Meredith on the other hand...he was fairly certain he knew her type. Drink lots of liquor, go home with a guy, but in the morning you'd still be just as miserable as you were the night before. He didn't know her story, but he hoped he got the chance to. She seemed like a nice enough girl, but she looked like she had troubles no one could even begin to touch. What a pair they made. He looked like he'd lost his best friend and she just looked...lost. There was no other word for it.

She was just about to head home for the night when something in the corner caught her eye. It was her guy from last night. He had his head down and his hands were busy shredding a napkin. He looked miserable. That was most certainly something she could relate too. She froze as she looked at him. The logical part of her brain screamed at her to just go home like she wanted too, but another part of her, it told her that the guy looked like he needed a friend. She was torn. Something she hated being. She was a doctor. Doctor's didn't second guess. They just acted. They went with their instincts. Swearing, she headed in his direction.

He looked startled when she took the seat across from him. His eyes widened when he saw her.

She looked at him amused. He opened his mouth to say something, but she cut him off.

" You just looked like you could use some company , " she offered by way of greeting.

He gave her that charming smile again and she swore she felt her knees go weak. It was a good thing she was sitting or otherwise she might have ended up in a heap on the floor.

" I'm sorry about this morning, I got called into work , " he apologized.

" Don't worry about it. Saved us both from that very awkward moment , " she grinned.

He laughed and she decided he had a nice laugh.

_To go along with a nice everything else, a little voice whispered inside her head devilishly. _

" So what are you drinking tonight , " he waggled his eyebrows at her.

" Well, actually I was just about to head home when I saw you sitting here all by your lonesome , " Meredith smiled at him.

" Oh, well don't let me keep you , " the man replied.

" Well, I was just wondering... you wanna come with , " she asked, surprised at her own forwardness.

He gave her that grin again and together they both headed towards the bar to close out his tab.

After they were gone, Joe just grinned to himself. He loved being right.


	3. Day Two continued

They stopped at the liquor store on the way to Meredith's house to buy a bottle of scotch and a bottle of tequila. Meredith still hadn't figured out what the hell she had been thinking when she invited him back to her place. Okay, maybe that wasn't entirely true. She'd been thinking about mind-blowing sex again. It seemed like the perfect cure to their problems. Well, to hers at least. She was willing to admit, sometimes she was a selfish woman.

Her companion was silent for the most part and Meredith liked that. It was kind of like an unspoken agreement between them not to ask personal questions. Such as what their names were. She didn't know his name and that made him that much more intriguing. He had that far away look in his eyes, like he was constantly off somewhere thinking. McDreamy. That's what she would call him.

When they arrived, they didn't go inside right away. Instead, she took him around to the back yard and they sat on the porch swing that had been there for years. She drank her tequila and he drank his scotch. Occasionally, they would trade off. He didn't ask what was wrong with her and she didn't ask what was wrong with him. Instead, they drank. His arm was stretched out across the back of the swing and she was laying with her head in his lap, her legs drawn up at one end to keep them from dragging the ground.

" You know I don't normally invite strange men home with me , " Meredith's voice was soft as she looked up at the stars above them.

" Well, for the record, I don't normally go home with strange women , " he looked down at her with a slight smirk.

" Good ," was her only response.

" Good," he echoed.

Derek really didn't feel like talking and apparently neither did she. They merely sat on the swing in companionable silence, drinking from their respective bottles. It most certainly was probably one of the strangest things he's ever done...going to the home of a woman whose name he doesn't even know two nights in a row. He likes that he doesn't know her name. She hasn't asked his, so he won't ask hers. Things become personal then and he likes things the way they are right now.

Her head rests in his lap and he idly runs his finger through her long hair. It's soft and it smells good, like some kind of flower. It's a dirty blonde in color and he's fascinated by it. He's never really care for blondes. Brunette's and redheads had been more of his style. Addison's red hair flashes through his mind and he takes another drink to chase her from his head. Maybe he's underestimated blondes. He hasn't given them a fair shot. Her head shifts against his thigh, turning to the side and he hears her yawn.

He wonders if that's his cue to leave, but she doesn't say anything so he doesn't. He just merely sits there with her, the only sound around them the squeaking of the chains from the swing. He watches her chest rise and fall and he realizes she's fallen asleep. He doesn't know if he's disappointed or not. He looks at his watch, noticing the time. He should probably go, but he doesn't want to leave her out here alone. So he picks up her purse and fishes her keys out. He doesn't recall which one she used the night before so he tries them all. When he's managed to get the door open, he returns for her. She's still in the same spot he left her and he gently slides his arms under her legs and loops her arm around his neck. She stirs only a little burying her face in the crook of his neck.

Derek makes his way up the stairs carefully, surprised at his own ability to be able to guide them both safely. He's had just as much to drink as she has, but somehow he is managing to walk straight. He finds the familiar room at the end of the hall and he moves to lay her down on the large bed. Her hand fists in his shirt and won't let go. So he lays down beside her, just to clear his head for a while. Then he'll call a cab and be on his way.

She isn't surprised to find him next to her in the morning. She is surprised however that they are both fully clothed. Well, except for shoes. She wakes up tucked up under his arm and curled against his chest. His arm is draped loosely around her waist and she decides that it feels nice. She can feel his deep breathing against her hair She call smell the slightest tinge of scotch on him and she imagines she herself smells like a bottle of tequila.

Meredith tilts her head up to look at him and once again she is struck by just how handsome he really is. One unruly curl rests against his forehead and fights the urge to reach up and touch it. Instead she merely keeps her head resting against his chest. His sweater is made of some kind of really soft cashmere and it feels good against her cheek. Distantly she wonders what she is doing with this man who she had thought of as nothing more than a one night stand. There is something drawing her to him though, like an unseen force. That's the only explanation she can come up with for why she invited him home with her again.

She blames it on the fact she hates waking up alone in this house. She always has. As a teenager it was never unusual for her mom to be gone. Ellis Grey was a hot commodity, an always in demand item. Her father had left when she was young and it had been pretty much always just been Meredith. Even when her mother was home, she was always locked up in her study, trying to come up with some new way to save someone's life.

She often wonders if her mother resents having her like Meredith resented not having her around as a teen. If her mother thinks of her as simply a tax write off. They have never been all that close, because Meredith wasn't a doctor, she was only a teenager. Ellis Grey had never liked cartoons and her daughter was merely a cartoon. A distraction.

Shaking her head from such disturbing thoughts, she closed her eyes and drifted back off to sleep, content to once again not be alone in this big empty house she had always called home.

Derek had meant to go home. Really he had. Unfortunately, it didn't seem to work out that way. Once again he woke up beside the same tiny little blonde. Only this time clothes weren't thrown everywhere. She was pressed tightly up against his side and his arm was holding her securely in place. Her hand had somehow found itself inside his shirt and it was warm against his skin. Her cheeks were flushed from sleep and he couldn't help but smile to himself.

There were certainly worse ways to wake up in the morning. Not wanting to wake her, he simply laid there, his eyes scanning the room. Boxes were piled up in corners, some of them opened, some of them not. She must have just moved here. Or she was moving out. He really couldn't tell. He hoped it was the former and not the latter. His first two nights in Seattle had been made better by this tiny slip of a woman. He drew comfort from her presence in an odd sort of a way.

He liked the way her eyes had looked at him the first night. She had checked him out and made no secret about it. It had been a long time since he had been with someone other than his wife. He and Addison had rarely taken time to appreciate one another. They had simply gotten comfortable. It was nice to be looked at that way again. Like he was an attractive man. He had forgotten what it felt like.


	4. Day Three

She had meant to kick him out. Actually, she had planned on it. When morning came though, all her plans fell through. Her hand had wormed its way up under his shirt and she could feel the coarse hair underneath it. His skin was hot beneath her fingers and itched to drag her nails down his chest. Her leg was slung up over his hips, with his hand lightly holding it in place. Meredith felt something poking into her thigh and it was then she knew she wasn't kicking him out.

That was something she was good at. Ignoring a man's needs first thing in the morning. Normally, she'd throw their clothes at them and deliver her trademark shower speech, but there was something that drew her to this man. Maybe it had been the pain in his eyes the night before or the fact that he seemed to be as lonely as she was. Whatever it was, she had every intention of taking advantage of this situation. After all, what woman in their right mind would throw this man out?

Hoping to wake him, she shifted slightly moving her leg slightly and her hand edging further up into his shirt. His free hand came to slip down to her side where her shirt had risen up and rested on the bare skin, thumb rubbing over it gently. She tilted her head up to place a kiss on the line of his jaw. He grunted and turned his head towards her. Meredith couldn't help but smile a bit. Resuming her task of waking him up she planted soft wet kisses everywhere around lips before he finally stirred. He didn't open his eyes, merely found her mouth with his own. What started out soft and sensual quickly escalated into hot and passionate. Hands fumbled to remove clothing.

Meredith loved his hands. They were soft, but certain in their task. His hands trailed down her bare back and she shivered. He definitely had the touch that was for sure. She made quick work of the rest of their clothes before he pulled her beneath him. After that, it was hard for her to form any kind of thought, let alone one that made any sense. She gave herself over to the ecstasy she was feeling and let it bed.

After they had exhausted the bedroom, she had led him into the shower, unable to make him leave just yet. She marveled at the way that their bodies fit together just right, like they were made for each other. The way he sighed against her neck and the way he held her up against the shower wall like she weighed nothing at all. Oh yes, this was by far the most amazing sex she'd had. Briefly, she wondered what it would be like to hear her name spill from those lips that she wasn't able to get enough of. She pushed the thought back, realizing that maybe she just liked the anonymity of this situation.

When it was over, they were both grinning ridiculously. They didn't speak as they dressed, nor when she was walking him downstairs to her door. She expected this to be awkward, but was relieved to find it wasn't. He opened the door and she leaned against the frame, hands behind her back. If she touched him, she wasn't sure she'd allow him to leave. She might just keep him locked up in her house as her very own personal sex slave.

" So I guess this is good-bye, " Meredith smiled at him. He just looked her up and down and stepped into her personal space. She looked up at him and before she knew it, his mouth was on hers again. This definitely wasn't a good-bye kiss. No, she realized that this kiss was the promise of something more.

" I'd say it's more like a 'see you later, " Tall, Dark and Handsome winked at her as he headed down the walkway.

She stared after him long after he got into his car and disappeared from her view.

Derek Shepherd was in a ridiculously good mood all day. Everyone noticed it, including Richard. He commented on it to his neurosurgeon, but Derek kept tight-lipped about it, preferring to keep his tiny little blonde to himself. The board was quiet all day and he was relieved when he could finally get away from the hospital. There was some kind of mixer for the hospital staff tonight, but he skipped out, not really wanting to be around large groups of people. There was only one person he really wanted to be around.

It amazed him just how quickly he found his thoughts turning to the woman whose name he didn't even know. Derek was a sensible guy and sensible guys didn't keep having anonymous sex with women whose name they did not know. No matter how great the sex was. He felt his body react to just the thought of her. He told himself the next time he saw her, he would have to find out her name. Or at the very least tell her his own. She hadn't asked, so he hadn't volunteered the information. He had tried to keep her from his thoughts all morning, but he hadn't been very successful. Oh, if the woman knew the power she held over him.

It was no coincidence that he found himself sitting at the bar of Emerald City again tonight. It was pretty empty, with most of the hospital staff deciding to go to the mixer or busy covering for the people who had gone. He wondered if she knew that this was the bar that most of the staff chose to hang out in or if she had merely found it by accident. Most women came in bars like this hoping to score a rich doctor. She didn't strike him as the type though. Besides, she couldn't work at the hospital or he would have seen her around by now. Maybe she had a relative or a friend who was a patient at Seattle Grace.

It didn't take her very long to show and when she did he couldn't keep his eyes off her. She was dressed in a slinky black halter dress that dipped down low in the front and dainty black sandal heels. She was gorgeous, which he realized sounded stupid. After all, he'd seen the woman naked more than once, but damn she looked good in that dress. Jealousy surged up in him when he saw the few men in the bar also checking her out. He pushed it down and tried to quell it. He'd slept with her a few times, but that didn't mean anything. Hell, he didn't even know her name.

She came to stand beside him at the bar and he saw Joe smile at her before pushing her usual drink across the bar to her. She accepted it with a smile and quiet thanks. Her eyes ticked over to him and he smiled at her.

" Nice dress, " he commented.

" Thanks. I had to go to some stupid function for work. It was boring, so I bailed, " she replied as she downed her shot.

" Well, I hate that you were bored, but I think I got the better end of the deal, " Derek inwardly cringed at his own words. Way to go, loser.

He felt her hand creep up his thigh and he swallowed. Hard.

" I'd say I'm in much better company now, " her hand was steadily creeping higher up his leg and suddenly he felt like he was teenager again. He cleared his throat and stilled her wandering hand. She pouted and it took everything he had in him to keep some kind of self-control. She didn't pull her hand away as he expected, just left it resting comfortably under his.

" So, I've seen you naked quite a few times now, but I feel like I'm missing a very important piece of information, " Derek smirked at her.

" Oh? What piece of information is that, " she asked innocently and he knew she was toying with him.

" Well, knowing what name I should be saying later on this evening would be nice, " he leered at her. He watched the blush creep up her cheeks and he pondered briefly if he said the wrong thing.

" So, buy me another drink and maybe I'll tell you, " she recovered quickly and he laughed. He beckoned Joe over and motioned to his little temptress beside him. Joe nodded and went about pouring her next shot. She downed it like she was drinking water and he was amazed once again by how she could drink that stuff.

" I'm Derek, by the way, " he told her and thought about offering her his hand, but that seemed a little ridiculous at this point.

" Hmm. Derek. I like it. Suits you, " his companion raked her eyes over him.

" Thanks. I think. You going to tell me what your name is, " he asked, hoping his voice didn't sound too desperate. He'd been dying to put a name to this face he couldn't seem to keep off his mind.

" I might, " she responded coyly as Joe walked back over to them.

" Meredith. She's Meredith, " Joe tossed in, catching the tail end of the conversation.

She looked at him, slightly annoyed and Joe just ginned at her.

" Spoil my fun," Meredith told him.

Joe merely laughed.

" Okay, since I spoiled your fun, your drinks are on the house tonight, " he told her as he put a clean shot glass down in front of her, followed by a bottle of tequila.

Derek watched her perk up. Meredith. Somehow it fit her. It wasn't anything ridiculously girly like Tiffany or Jennifer. It was just an ordinary name, but when he tried it out on his tongue it felt anything but ordinary. It was like a name he knew he wasn't about to forget anytime soon.

" I was going to tell you, " she told him sounding only slightly defensive.

Derek laughed.

" Sure you were. Then, I had to go and ruin it by telling you my name, " he teased her.

" Ruler. Derek's German right? It means ruler, " Meredith stated.

He nodded and he heard her mumble something under her breath, but he didn't understand it.

He thought it was something along the lines of things he ruled at.

" This work thing...totally boring? That's a shame. Really, " Derek said, taking another sip of his scotch.

She just rolled her eyes at him and shoved him lightly.

" Hey now, that could be considered assault, " he pretended to look wounded.

" Like anyone would believe that little tiny me assaulted you."

" I could tell them you tried to beat me up with your tiny ineffectual fists."

" I'd rather do other things to you, " Meredith responded slyly and he found himself leaning towards her.

" Oh yeah? Want to share what these other things might be?"

She turned to him with a mischievous glint her eyes.

" I'm not really into telling. I'm more of a doer type girl, " she replied seriously.

Ten minutes later, they were both out the door and headed towards her house.


	5. Day Four

Sunlight streamed through the open curtains in Meredith's room and she groaned. She rolled over fully intending to find Derek passed out next to her, but she was surprised when her body met cold sheets. She opened her eyes and saw Derek's cell phone sitting on the nightstand, so he was obviously here somewhere. She sat up and wrapped the sheet around her tiny body before venturing out into the hallway. The shower wasn't running. Where could he be?

That was when the smell of fresh coffee and bacon hit her nose. Never one to turn away from coffee, she tiptoed down the stairs and journeyed to the kitchen. She stopped dead in her tracks at the scene before her. There was Derek, wearing no shirt, dancing around her kitchen and singing horribly off key to whatever he happened to be listening to. She leaned against the doorframe and watched him, amused. She tried to stifle the laughter she felt bubbling up in her throat, but wasn't successful. A giggle escaped and Derek looked up, startled. His face turned a faint shade of red and it was amazing to her how a man who was so cocky and self-assured could get embarrassed.

" Good morning, " Derek greeted as he pulled his earphones out.

" Good morning, " Meredith echoed.

" I, uh, thought you might be hungry. My mother always taught me that a good day started with a good breakfast, " he rambled, a hint of nervousness to his voice.

" Is it edible, " She asked as she approached the island warily.

" What? You think just because I happen to be a man I can't cook, " he teased her.

" Actually. Yes , " Meredith replied honestly.

Derek gave her that grin she had seen so many times. That " you can't help but love me because I'm so charming" grin. Scratch that. Like him. She most certainly did not love him. She didn't even know him.

" I'll have you know, I am fabulous cook, " he sassed her as he poured her a cup of coffee and slid it across to her.

" We'll just see about that one, " Meredith tossed back as she took a sip of coffee.

" So, I'm curious about something, " Derek said out of nowhere.

" Curiosity killed the cat."

Derek gave her a look.

" What? You already know my name. What else could you possibly have to be curious about," She replied teasingly.

" Boxes. There are all these packed up boxes. Are you moving in or are you moving out, " Derek asked seriously.

" Actually, this is my mom's house, but she's no longer able to take care of it. I haven't decided whether to sell it or not, " Meredith answered honestly.

He nodded thoughtfully as he took a swallow of coffee.

" What about you, Mr, Mysterious? Where do you live?"

" Currently? I am a guest of one of Seattle's finest hotels. I just moved here a few days ago, " Derek informed her as he moved around the island to sit next to her.

" Seriously? You're living in a hotel , " Meredith sounded disbelieving.

" Seriously. I haven't had a whole lot of free time to find a place just yet. I bought some land and I'm thinking of building a house, but who knows how long that will take."

" Okay, well, don't freak out on me or anything here, but you can stay here until you either a) buy a house or b) build a house. I'm going to be starting work next week and I'll hardly ever be home so you'd pretty much have the place to yourself, " She couldn't believe the words that had just come out of her mouth. Did she seriously just tell this guy that she had known for less than a week that he could live with her?

He looked surprised for a moment, before flashing her a smile.

" Do you often invite strange men to live with you, " He teased her.

" Oh, so you're admitting you're strange."

He laughed softly before playfully nudging her with his shoulder.

" Don't you even want to know what my last name is before you offer to let me stay with you? "

" Okay, I'll bite. What's your last name?"

" Shepherd."

" Well, then it's nice to finally meet you, Derek Shepherd."

" You going to tell me yours?"

" What made you think that this was a game of 'I'll show you mine if you show me yours?'

Derek leaned in close to her, eyes dancing with amusement as he ducked his head down to whisper in her ear.

" I've already seen yours. "

Meredith just laughed and rolled her eyes.

They had parted ways at lunch time and that gave Meredith time to think. She still couldn't believe that she had told him he could stay there. Yes, she had the tendency to be impulsive and irrational, but Meredith was what she liked to call a 'commitment phobe'. She didn't do relationships. If she knew their name, it was generally time for it to be over. Yet, she not only had slept with this man quite a few times, she knew his first- and his last!- name. First name was enough. She never ever got last names.

Still, there was something about him that she couldn't stop thinking about. Maybe it was his hair. He had great hair. It was all dark and silky, easy to thread your fingers through in the heat of the moment. Or maybe it was those eyes. She could drown in those eyes and never ask for a lifeline. Bad Meredith Bad! Do not fall in lust with the hot guy you've been screwing. Especially the hot guy you know little to nothing about.

Besides, there was nothing wrong with helping someone while they got on their feet right? No one had made any offers on her mother's house just yet and Meredith was actually considering keeping it. It was after all her home, even if she hadn't lived there for quite a while. It would save her the trouble of searching for a place to live and she could always get roommates later. It was just something for her to think about.

He'd been surprised when she'd offered to let him live with her until he got settled. After all, he had barely known her for three days, didn't even know her last name, It was a fact that he most certainly wanted to find out. She had a way about her that drew him to her and he wasn't sure what it was. Maybe it was that behind that facade she had nearly perfected, he saw a world of hurt. She obviously wasn't the relationship type girl and that disappointed him. That was the upside to accepting her offer though. He'd find out more about her and maybe he'd be able to change her mind.

He was disturbed by that line of thought. Here he was , getting out of an eleven year marriage , and he was thinking about dating the girl he'd only had sex with a handful of times? Derek wasn't sure what to make of that. Was he just sexually attracted to her and lonely or did he really think there was possibility there? Whatever it was, he was going to find out.

So it was with certainly he gathered up what belongings he had from his hotel and headed towards her house after his shift. He made a stop to pick up a bottle of wine and some take out, as it didn't seem that his new roommate was all that inclined in the cooking area. He was relieved to see that she was home already, as she hadn't given him a key, saying she'd have one made that afternoon. He knocked on the door and waited awkwardly for her to answer it, his bag slung over one shoulder and the food in the other. No, this didn't feel odd at all.

His breath caught when he saw her bounding down the stairs in a ratty long sleeve t-shirt with DARTMOUTH printed across it and a pair of low riding jeans. Ah ha. Another fact about Meredith he could file away. She went to Dartmouth. Her hair was pulled up in a messy pony-tail, but he couldn't remember a time when he'd seen a woman look more sexy. Addison had never looked less than perfect, hair always in place and he sometimes wondered if she had her make-up tattooed on. Now wasn't the time to be thinking about Addison though.

She opened the door and greeted him with a smile.

" Hi , " Meredith said breathlessly.

" Hi. I come bearing food and alcohol, " Derek replied charmingly.

" That makes you my new favorite person, " She laughed as she stepped aside to let him in.

" Oh , so there was a favorite person before me? I'm hurt , " He teased.

" Well, I think you'll live. If you want to put the food in the kitchen, I'll take your stuff up to the room that will be yours, "

" How about I put the food in the kitchen and you show me what room will be mine , " Derek wheedled.

" Only if you promise to behave. I'm hungry, you know , " Meredith grinned at him.

" Don't worry, so am I, " Derek tossed back, but she got the impression from the look in his eyes he was hungry for something else besides food.


	6. Day Five

A/N: I apologize for the severe lack of updates. Up until last Monday I seriously hadn't had the initiative to write, but thanks to these new drugs they've got me on, I'm more focused and ready to update. I might even finish all these stories before the weekend is over. Thanks to everyone for all the great feedback. It gives more drive to write when I know people are actually reading.

When Meredith woke the next morning, she couldn't help but wonder why she even bothered to show him his own room. They had once again ended up in hers and his body was spooned loosely around hers. She could hear him snoring softly against her neck and for a moment she realized that it was nice to not wake up by herself. She couldn't kick him out because he lived here now and that was oddly...reassuring.

Her cell phone rang loudly and she groaned. Reaching over to the nightstand she grabbed it before it had a chance to wake him. The display read the number for the nursing home her mother was in. She quickly flipped the phone open and pressed it to her ear, scooting away from Derek in the process. She heard him groan and then she was being pulled back against him.

" Ms. Grey , " the voice on the other line questioned.

" This is she , " Meredith answered, trying to speak as quietly as possible.

" I'm calling on behalf of your mother. She's been asking to speak with you , " The nurse continued on.

" Is she alright?"

" She's fine, having one of her better days. Would it be at all possible for you to stop in and see her today?"

"Um, yeah. I'll be there as soon as I can, " Meredith flipped her phone shut and sighed.

" What time is it, " Derek's voice startled her and she jumped slightly.

" Early. Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you, " She wasn't sure what possessed her to apologize.

" Don't be. I need to get up anyways and take care of some things, " He answered her as he pressed a kiss against her shoulder before climbing out of the bed.

" Okay, well I'm going to jump in the shower and head out. Be sure to lock up when you leave okay?"

" Meredith, " She was almost to the door when his voice stopped her. She turned to look at him.

" Want to meet me for lunch later, " He asked casually.

" Uh, sure. My cell number is on the board downstairs, " She hurriedly replied as she scurried out of the room.

Derek chuckled to himself. She really didn't do the whole morning thing well.

Meredith wrung her hands nervously as she waited for her mother to join her in the sitting room. When the nursing home had called, she had been expecting the worst, but then found out that her mother was actually lucid enough to remember her. Forgetful Mother she could deal with. It was the mother who knew her that she didn't know how to handle. Her mother hadn't approved of her wanting to go to med school, saying that she didn't have what it took to be a doctor. Meredith had decided to prove her wrong.

Being a surgeon had been Ellis Grey's life and had left little room for anything else, including Meredith. Her father had bailed on them when she was young for reasons Meredith never understood. He never kept in touch with his daughter, even though Meredith was fully aware of where he was. She just simply wouldn't be bothered to rebuild a relationship with a man who had walked out on her without a second glance.

That's why Meredith didn't do relationships. Too much risk involved. Why take the chance of getting hurt by letting yourself get emotionally attached to someone? Which is why one night stands were the easiest answer for her. This thing with Derek...it was new and still very uncomplicated. He didn't press her for details, except for possibly her last name, which she still hadn't given up. Which was stupid because she had invited him to live with her.

Now they would be meeting for lunch. As in kind of a date. Meredith didn't go on dates. Dates led to relationships and she hated relationships. All the sharing and the getting to know one another stuff she wasn't good at. She was good at the speeches the next morning telling that last night had been fun, but it was just that. Now, here she was. Living and sleeping with a man. That went beyond relationship into scary territory that she wasn't prepared to analyze. Except being with Derek was comfortable , natural even. Silence wasn't awkward. It was just...nice.

Derek had rambled around the house for a while before finally getting out for the day. Since he had just started at the hospital, his caseload was light. So far he had no surgeries scheduled for the next couple of days, but he knew that could change at the drop of a hat. It felt good to be practicing medicine in a hospital again. He realized that in New York he had grown comfortable with his own practice and Seattle had provided him with a challenge.

He had grown comfortable with a lot of things in New York, Derek mused. Being here in Seattle was like breathing in fresh air, it was new and invigorating. Some of that he could attribute to being in a new city with a new job, but a lot of it he could attribute to a little tiny blonde named Meredith. It was odd, he thought. Less than a month ago he had found his wife in bed with his best friend. He'd been hurt and betrayed, but he had simply walked away. He didn't stick around to hear the excuses and Addison had wisely stopped calling after two days of not answering her calls.

He wanted the divorce over and done with, but his lawyer in New York had told him that in order to file for divorce, the couple had to be legally separated for six months. So he had filed for legal separation and was almost surprised when Addison had signed the papers. They had been faxed to him his first day in Seattle. Obviously, she had realized very quickly that they weren't going to work things out. Idly, he wondered if she was still with Mark and he found himself not caring.

The thought shook him. Addison had been his wife for eleven years and he had walked away without so much as a parting glance. Most men would have stayed and fought, at least punched the guy who was doing his wife, but Derek simply walked away. He might have been able to get past it had it not been Mark , his best friend, the guy who was his best man , whom he had done his internship with.

Derek wondered if they would have ever came clean with him had he not walked in on them. Apparently, they both thought he was stupid. The joke was on them though. The worst place to carry on an affair would be in the married spouse's home. It had been like a slap in the face from both of them that they had the audacity to do it in his bed. Those sheets had been a gift from his mother and he had promptly burned them upon returning to their home to collect his things.

Some part of his brain questioned how fast he was moving in getting over Addison, while the other part screamed at him that his wife, his supposed soulmate , had cheated on him. Not with a stranger but with the man he thought of as a brother. That part of his brain told him to suck it up and get on with his life. That was the part Derek chose to listen too. After all, he was a surgeon and surgeons never second guessed themselves.

Resolving not to think about the past any longer, Derek whipped out his cell phone and dialed Meredith's number.

Her phone rang right as she was pulling out of the parking lot and looked down at it to see an unfamiliar number. A quick glance at the clock told her it was almost lunch time and she knew it had to be Derek. She briefly considered ignoring the call, but then she remembered she had agreed to lunch.

" Hello , " She answered as casually as possible.

" Seattle has ferryboats, " Derek's voice came through cheerfully.

" Yes. Seattle's surrounded by water on three sides , " Meredith told him in a matter of fact kind of way.

" I didn't know that. Now, I have to like it here. I'm from New York, genetically engineered to dislike everywhere, except Manhattan , " He informed her.

Meredith laughed.

" So this incredibly beautiful woman agreed to have lunch with me today. Only thing is, I have no idea what kind of food she likes to eat. "

" Hmm. Did you make another lunch date with someone besides me? "

She heard him laugh.

" Okay, so you doesn't take compliments well. Seriously, what kind of food are you in the mood for? "

" I hate Chinese. "

" Alright then, Chinese is out. How do you feel about Italian?"

" Italian's good. Italian and I get along very well."

Meredith heard him chuckle again and she smiled in spite of herself.

" Well, I'm still kind of new to this area, so I leave the picking of the place up to you, " He said.

" I'm kind of tired. How about we meet at the house and order in ," She suggested, realizing that her visit with her mother had left her kind of drained.

" Sounds like a plan."

They said their goodbyes and hung up. The entire drive back to the house Meredith had one thought plaguing her mind.

What the hell was she getting herself into?


	7. DayFiveSix

When she pulled into the driveway, she saw Derek's silver BMW already there. It occurred to her she had no idea what he did for a living, but he obviously didn't do too bad for himself to be driving a car like that. Her older model Jeep Cherokee looked out of place next to his car. Oh well. She supposed she would find out what he did in due time. She did know he had a job though , thinking back to the conversation in the bar a few nights ago. It had just never crossed her mind to ask what exactly he did.

She hadn't even gotten two feet in the door when he emerged from the kitchen with two glasses of wine. He was wearing a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, which was surprising. Every time she'd seen him, he'd been dressed in khakis with a sweater over his button down shirt. Of course it didn't matter what he worse, she thought. The man managed to make everything look good on him.

" I found some glasses in the cabinet , " Derek explained as she took the glass from him.

" Thanks. You have no idea how much I needed this , " Meredith smiled gratefully at him before taking a sip.

" Bad day? "

" Again, you have no idea. Did you order the food or do you want me too , " She asked as she ventured into the kitchen.

" Well, I decided to wait for you, seeing as I really have no clue as to what places around here are good or not , " He replied as he trailed behind her.

Meredith set the her glass down and opened up a drawer, pulling out the phone book. Derek handed her the phone and she dialed the number. She could feel his eyes on her the entire time and it unnerved her. She gave the man her name and she saw him smirk out of the corner of her eye. Of course, she had given her full name. Crap. After placing her order, she handed the phone over to Derek to do the same, then quickly scurried out of the kitchen and up the stairs to change.

Ten minutes later, he was leaning against her door and smirking at her. She pretended like she didn't notice he was there. Of course that wasn't making him go away. No, instead he just stood there, watching her, obviously amused.

" You don't do the whole getting to know people thing very well, do you , " He finally asked.

" As a general rule, no , " She stopped what she was doing and turned to look at him. Their eyes caught and she found herself unable to look away. Even from where she was standing, she could see the depth of the blue in his eyes. It was like drowning in the ocean, but not having the will to try and fight for the surface.

" So this bad day you're having, I suppose it's out of the question for me to ask if you want to talk about it , " Derek's voice carried over to her softly and she forced herself to look away from him.

" Like I told you, I don't do the sharing thing well , " Her voice came out a bit harsher than she intended and she immediately felt bad.

" Look, Derek , I'm sorry...I just..." Meredith started to apologize.

" Don't worry about it. Just know that when or if you're ready to talk to someone , I'd be more than willing to listen."

She flashed him a grateful smile.

Lunch was good. Afterwards, Derek had gone upstairs to do something or other and Meredith stayed downstairs. She decided that if she was going to be living in the house for the time being she might as well start unpacking. She unpacked the kitchen first, seeing as that most of their dishes and such were still in boxes. Meredith had brought all this stuff with her from Boston. Her mother had never really kept much in the kitchen, due to the fact she was rarely ever home. She worked on the living room next , wanting it to look as livable as possible. It was in there she found the box of her mother's surgery tapes.

As a child, she had always delighted in watching her mother work. After all, her mother was Ellis Grey, one of the first big chick surgeons. Her mother had been her idol. Now, the great Ellis Grey was reduced to a shell of woman. She remembered her mother calling to tell her that she had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's. They'd both been devastated, but the real trauma didn't kick in for Meredith until she had to watch her mother , the woman she had idolized , be put into a nursing home.

With a sigh, she pushed the box away from her. Maybe unpacking hadn't been such a great idea after all. She had wanted to take her mind off her mother, not drag herself further down into her misery. Meredith heard a beeping noise go off and then she heard Derek curse. She got to her feet and was about to go upstairs when he came down, pulling his jacket on.

" Hey. I've got to go into work for a while , " He explained as he headed towards the door.

" Okay. See ya later, " Her voice held the slightest hint of a question to it and he flashed her one of those million dollar smiles.

" Definitely."

Derek was exhausted by the time he got out of surgery. He had tried taking a nap earlier at the house , but he'd been restless and unable to sleep. Now all he wanted was a hot shower and to maybe go home and crawl in bed with Meredith. He didn't know if she'd still be awake, but he was secretly hoping she was. They didn't discuss what was going on between them and he liked it that way for now. Less pressure on both of them. Oh, he liked her and in more than 'I like to have sex with you' kind of way. She was fascinating. Kind of like a puzzle. You put together the outside of the puzzle first and then worked your way in.

" So I hear you checked out of the hotel. Find a place already , " Richard Webber's voice called from behind him.

" Actually, a friend is letting me crash at her place until I decide what to do next , " Derek answered as Richard fell into step beside him.

" At her place? This friend... she more than a friend , " Richard asked knowingly.

" Possibly. How's Adele , " Derek skillfully changed the subject.

" She's fine. We're more concerned about you, Shep. You should give yourself some time... "

Derek cut him off.

" Relax, Richard. It's kind of a new thing. It may go somewhere and it may not. "

" Just be careful, Derek. I know the whole thing with Addison hasn't been easy on you. "

" Now see, I was having a perfectly good day until you had to go and mention Satan , " Derek responded as he stopped in front of the elevator and viciously hit the down button.

" Alright, fair enough. However, Adele would like you to join us for dinner sometime soon. You can even bring your 'friend' if you want."

" I'll see what my schedule is like, " Derek told him in as he stepped into the elevator and the door closed behind him.

He was disappointed to see that the house was dark when he arrived home. He was hoping that Meredith would still be awake when he got home. He quietly put the key in the lock and swung the door open, trying to be as quiet as possible. He noticed an eerie blue glow coming from the living room as he shut the door and he ventured in to see what the source was. Meredith was passed out asleep on the couch and the blue glow came from the tv screen. He briefly considered just leaving her there to sleep, but the couch didn't look all that comfortable. Mind made up, he moved across the room and crouched down beside the couch, putting his hand on her shoulder and shaking her gently.

" Meredith , " He spoke softly. He was answered with a grunt. He tried again. Her eyes fluttered open to look at him sleepily.

" C'mon. You've got a big comfortable bed upstairs. Let's go sleep in it okay, "

" Too tired to go upstairs, " she muttered as her eyes slipped shut.

" Okay then, well just put your arms around my neck okay? "

He slipped his arms under her legs and lifted her effortlessly. Her arms wound around his neck and he carried her up the stairs to her room. She didn't stir when he laid her down, but she didn't move her arms from around his neck either. He had two choices. He could try and get away with the risk of waking her up again or he could just law down beside her. It really wasn't even a choice. Toeing his shoes off, he slipped onto the bed beside her. His eyes drifted shut as she nestled her head against his chest.

Derek was gone the next morning when she woke up and Meredith briefly entertained the thought that she had imagined him sleeping next to her until she realized she had fallen asleep on the couch and woke up in her bed. There was no note this time and she found herself oddly disappointed. Of course, they hadn't had sex the night before, so why would there be a note?

As a rule, Meredith didn't let men get to close to her. She had Daddy issues out the wazoo and she knew it carried over into her personal life. Her dad had simply just walked away from her and her mom. If it had been that easy for a man to walk away from his marriage, she imagined it would be that much easier for an unmarried man to just walk away from a relationship. Which is why she had no clue as to exactly what was driving her to entertain this semi relationship with Derek. She had fallen asleep with him every night since she met him and a voice inside of her was screaming at her to end it before she got hurt, but there was another voice telling her she was twenty-eight and to grow up and get over it.

Most of the time, she managed to quash that voice, but in her time since meeting Derek, it had gotten annoyingly louder. Actually, it was bordering on screaming. She had tried reasoning but it had told her that she was a surgeon and surgeons weren't cowards. She grudgingly admitted to herself that it was right. She would not be a coward.

Which is why when Derek called her and asked her to join him and a couple friends for dinner, she had tuned out that little voice and went with the louder one. Now, she was frantically searching for something suitable to wear. Apparently, they would be dining at the restaurant atop the space needle, somewhere Meredith hadn't been to since she turned sixteen. Spotting a slinky black dress that she had never worn in the back of her closet, she grabbed for it hastily and hurried to get ready.


	8. Day Six Cont'd

A/N: One of you asked how Meredith and Derek had been avoiding each other at the hospital. The answer to that is that Meredith simply hasn't began her internship yet. Also, to suit my story purposes Derek moved to Seattle at the same time Meredith did because it doesn't make any sense to me that Webber managed to avoid for Derek for six weeks. So to suit the story, they have both just moved.

Derek hadn't told her much about the people they would be eating with that evening, merely that the man had been his mentor during his time in school. That just made Meredith wonder what exactly it was that Derek did again. She didn't ask though, deciding that she would probably find out at some time during the evening. It was odd to her, to be walking into this elaborate restaurant in a formal dress, on the arm of a really hot guy. Especially one she knew so little about. They were early, so the maitre 'd showed them to their table and gave them a wine list to look over. What was even more odd to Meredith was that Derek's hand rested comfortably on her thigh and she didn't mind.

They made small talk until Derek looked up and nodded at the couple approaching them. Meredith froze as she looked over at the man and his wife. It was Richard Webber. Oh dear god, she was having dinner with Dr. Webber and his wife? That meant if she was having dinner with them...suddenly she didn't have any questions about what Derek did as a profession. It made all suddenly made sense. The strange hours, the fact that he had to leave whenever his pager went off, how he ended up at Joe's which was directly across from freaking Seattle Grace.

She was snapped back to reality as Derek rose to greet them. She hesitated just for a moment before doing the same. Maybe he wouldn't recognize her. It had been years since he had seen her and Meredith liked to think she had changed appearance wise.

" Richard, Adele , " Derek stated politely.

" Derek , " Richard returned warmly.

Richard was watching her closely and she suddenly felt claustrophobic. Did he recognize who she was? She felt Derek's hand squeeze hers reassuring as he spoke.

" This is Meredith , " Derek introduced them.

Richard blanched and Meredith waited for the fallout.

" Meredith Grey , " Richard looked at her disbelieving.

" That'd be me , " Meredith smiled weakly.

" You two know one another , " Derek's voice sounded surprised.

" I used to work with her mother. You may have heard of her. Ellis Grey , "

Meredith noticed how Adele's face changed expression just the slightest at the mention of her mother. She wondered what that was about.

" Your mother is Ellis Grey , " Derek asked, disbelieving.

Putting on a brave face , Meredith answered with a lot more courage than she felt.

" Guilty as charged . How do you two know each other , " She asked, even though she already knew the answer to that.

" Derek's my new head of neurology over at Seattle Grace , " Richard said meaningfully.

Meredith swallowed hard. She knew what that meant. Only she could hook up with some random guy in a bar and him turn out to be her boss.

" I met Meredith almost a week ago and we hit it off. She's been kind enough to let me rent a room from her until I get on my feet , " Derek smiled as they all sat down at the table.

Suddenly, Meredith morbidly wished the floor would open up and swallow her whole.

Derek watched Meredith out of the corner of his eye, noticing how uncomfortable she seemed. He wanted to ask her about it, but this clearly wasn't the time. She'd been quiet all evening, only speaking when spoken too and she almost refused to meet his eyes. To be honest, she looked like she was ready to bolt, but he had kept his hand reassuringly on her thigh, effectively holding her in place.

Adele had been shooting daggers at her with her eyes for reasons Derek had no clue over. Adele and Addison were friends, but he wasn't the one who cheated, so he really couldn't figure out her problem with Meredith, other than the fact that she simply wasn't Addison. That was thankfully a topic that had been avoided all evening. He was really starting to like this woman and the last thing he wanted was for someone to bring up his soon to be ex-wife. No, he'd tell her in his own time.

Without warning, Meredith pushed her chair back from the table and stood up. Derek got halfway out of his seat before she waved him back down, explaining she needed to go to the ladies room. He nodded and watched her worriedly as she scurried away like she had hellhounds snapping at her feet.

" Well, Shep, I've gotta hand it to you. You sure do know how to complicate situations , "

Derek stabbed at a piece of lettuce with his fork, shooting Richard a dirty look.

" What on earth are you talking about , " He asked him, irritation creeping into his voice.

" You're an attending, Derek. You know it's against the rules , " Richard replied sternly.

" Dating a beautiful woman is against the rules? Since when , " Derek tossed back, only slightly amused.

" Since when? Since in two weeks that girl will be your intern , " Richard barked across the table at him, clearly annoyed at Derek for making light of the situation.

He froze. Richard looked at him, realization dawning on him slowly.

" She didn't tell you."

" To be honest, we hadn't really talked about it. I'm sure had I asked she would have told me. "

Richard's eyes darted over his shoulder to see Meredith returning to the table. Both of them wisely dropped the subject as she took her seat once again.

Meredith didn't say a word the entire ride back to the house and Derek didn't speak either. He wasn't exactly sure what to say. This evening had been full of surprises and now he understood Meredith's earlier discomfort. She must have figured out what he did for a living the minute she saw Richard. Adele had offered to let Derek stay with them while he found a place, but he had said no probably a little more harshly than necessary. He had told Richard in private that for the moment, Meredith wasn't a staff member of Seattle Grace so technically they weren't breaking any rules. When she started her internship, they'd deal with the situation then.

What a situation it was too. Part of Derek knew it was wrong and it was breaking every rule he could think of, but he simply couldn't bring himself to care. This woman made him laugh, Meredith was like a breath of fresh air after living in a smog ridden city for years. More importantly, she made him feel. He felt wanted and more than that he felt comfortable, like this was where he was supposed to be.

He followed her into the house and frowned as she headed straight for the kitchen and the bottle of tequila that was in the top cabinet. Deciding to leave her alone for a few minutes, he headed upstairs to change. He had taken the room across the hall from Meredith's, wanting to be as close as possible to her. Of course, since moving in here he hadn't slept in his room one night yet. He had a feeling though that tonight would be his first night sleeping in his own bed.

When he joined her back downstairs, she was halfway through the bottle and he was once again reminded of the alcohol tolerance this tiny woman possessed. He crossed the room to stand beside her. She ignored him and he sighed.

" Meredith , " He said her name softly.

No response. He tried again and she turned to him, eyes blazing. They were the most marvelous shade of gray. He'd never seen eyes like that before.

" Can we talk about this , " He asked calmly.

" Talk about what? The fact that I'm screwing my boss or the fact that the man who practically raised me as a child knows I'm screwing my boss , " Meredith answered his question with one of her own.

" Can I just point out that technically, I'm not your boss yet , " Derek tried to lighten the mood.

" This is funny to you isn't it? It's all a big game now huh? "

" Meredith, what on earth are you talking about? "

She stared at him in disbelief before slamming the bottle down on the counter and storming up the stairs.

Derek scrubbed his hands over his face and sighed.


	9. Day Seven

Derek awoke the next morning to hear Meredith getting sick in the bathroom. He had heard her leave her room later in the night after he had gone upstairs and he suspected she had finished off that bottle of tequila. He debated on whether or not to check on her, but realized he had no choice. Quietly, he made his way to the bathroom and pushed open the door that was already ajar. There she sat kneeling in front of the toilet, one hand holding on to the side of the toilet while the other was trying to hold her own hair back.

He grabbed a washcloth from the cabinet and ran it under some cool water before joining her on the floor. One hand wove into her hair while the other gently wiped the cloth over her face. She flashed him a look of gratitude before turning her attention back to the toilet. He set the washcloth down and settled himself a bit more comfortably on the cold tile and began to rub soothing circles on her back. Minutes ticked by and still she didn't get sick again. Realizing the worst was over, he pulled her to her feet and turned the shower on. Then, he left her in the bathroom and made his way down into the kitchen.

She joined him about twenty minutes later. He was sitting at the table, drinking a cup of coffee and reading the morning newspaper. She didn't say anything to him, just merely poured herself a glass of ginger ale and took the seat across from him. Finally, unable to stand the silence any longer, he set the paper down and looked straight across at her. He felt a wave of sympathy wash over him as he took in her appearance. She was wearing a baggy t-shirt and her eyes were bloodshot. Oh yes, she was in hangover hell. Still, he decided to bite the bullet and face the situation head on.

" So we have two options here the way I see it. We can go our separate ways and pretend it never happened. Or we can take the road less traveled and see where this goes. What we've been doing isn't forbidden , Meredith. There's no actual rule that says attendings can't date their interns, " Derek watched her closely as he waited for her to answer.

" See this? This isn't easy for me. I don't let people in. Yet, here I am, letting you in and I realize that I am so to blame for a lot of this because I should have asked. I didn't. Now, maybe it's fate's way of laughing at me or something, but I am not only sleeping with a guy who is very soon to be my boss, in a career that I have worked my butt off for, but I am also living with said boss , " Meredith rambled on nervously and Derek found himself trying not to smile.

" Meredith , " Derek tried to cut her off as she launched into her next ramble , but she wouldn't have it.

" And on top of that, I just had dinner with your boss whose going to be my boss, but is also the man that used to change my diapers. So I'm kind of freaking out here because I don't want to be the girl who gets ahead in her career because she's sleeping with her boss. "

" So you think I'm the kind of guy who shows his girlfriend favoritism? Meredith, I haven't seen your abilities as a doctor yet. I don't know if you're good or not. I'm not about to risk my career as a doctor or my mortality rate just because I think it might get me into your pants later that night , " Derek told her seriously.

" Did you just call me your girlfriend , " Meredith seemed to disregard the rest of his response.

" Would be girlfriend , " Derek told her hopefully.

" Seriously."

" Seriously."

Meredith was quiet for a while before spoke again.

" I have two rules , " She said.

" Let's hear them , " Derek leaned forward.

" Professionalism. We aren't seen together inside the hospital. Unless it's directly related to a patient. Inside the walls of the hospital, you're Dr. Shepherd and I'm Dr. Grey, " Meredith stated seriously.

Derek didn't look happy but he nodded.

" Don't request me as your intern. It'll just make both of us look bad if anyone were to find out we're sleeping together. "

" But Richard already knows , " Derek reminded her.

" Exactly. He's going to the only one who knows. "

" Okay. I have a rule as well , " He responded.

" I'm not making any promises , " Meredith warned.

" Inside this house, we are simply Derek and Meredith. What happens at the hospital, stays at the hospital. No grudge holding over the events of the work day , "

Meredith looked relieved.

" Agreed , " She looked as surprised as he did that it was that easy for her.

" Now, there's something else we need to discuss , " Derek switched topics and Meredith blinked. What on earth could they have to discuss now?

" We need to discuss how much I'm going to be paying in my half of the bills. If I'm going to be living here, I'm going to take care of my part of the expenses. No arguments , " He continued on.

" Derek- , " Meredith tried to interrupt, but he held up a hand to stop her.

" Look, we're still very early into all of this. I don't care where I'm sleeping, but as long as I'm sleeping under this roof and living here, I'm going to contribute to the bills."

Meredith gaped at him for a second, but slowly nodded. Even though the house was paid off and so were her expenses from medical school , she knew logically she'd still need help making sure the utilities got paid.

" I'll have to get back to you on that one , " was all she said.

Derek smiled to himself, pleased with his small victory.

Unfortunately, his victory didn't last long. When he got to the hospital, he was informed that Richard wanted to see him. Just as he had done with Meredith that morning, he decided to face the situation head on. He took his time getting to Richard's office though, mulling over in his head what he would say to him. He knocked on his office door after Richard's secretary assured him it was okay.

" Come in , " was the gruff reply he received.

" You wanted to see me , " Derek stated calmly.

" Take a seat , Derek. We need to talk , " Richard sounded serious and Derek was suddenly reverted back to high school. He was the seventeen year old boy getting scolded by the principal for bad behavior. He did as he was told though, taking a seat and doing his best not to be intimidated.

" You've gotten yourself into an interesting situation here , Derek. Although I'm not surprised, you always had a knack for it when you were in med school , " His boss told him, the faintest hint of a smile tugging at his lips.

" Well you know me , " Derek replied flippantly, flashing an uneasy grin.

" Now, I can't tell you how to live your personal life, but I can tell you that your personal life better not in any way affect the way my hospital runs. Meredith is an intern. There's no rule that says you can't be involved with her, although I wish to god there was , " Richard warned him.

" Secondly, if you are going to continue this whatever it is with Meredith, you better know something else. Ellis Grey is a very near and dear friend to me. I practically helped her raise Meredith when she was young, so obviously she's very special to me as well. Don't think I'm in any way condoning this relationship either, Derek. Just know that if you hurt her... "

His meaning was clear.

" Look, Richard. Meredith and I actually sat down and had a discussion very similar to this one this morning. We're both going to be professional about this. Our work relationship and our personal relationship aren't to interact. We get that , " Derek assured him.

" Good. Now get the hell out of my office, Shep , " Richard shooed him away good naturedly.

Derek did as he was told.

Meredith felt like hell. She had gotten up for breakfast, but soon after found herself crawling back into bed. She'd stayed there for most of the day, trying not think about the complicated mess she'd just thrown herself into. It was bad enough she'd allowed herself to get close to him, but to find out he was going to be her boss and still continuing this...whatever it was. She must be insane. She must be completely and totally out of her friggin' mind. She blamed it on his eyes. And that annoyingly charming boyish smile.

That smile she was certain would be the death of her. It gave her gooey feelings and Meredith Grey did not have gooey feelings where men were concerned. Gooey feelings led to other feelings and other feelings generally just did not turn out well for her. Which brought her back to her original point. She must be insane. That was the only explanation that made sense to her. If she was sane, she would have ran screaming in the opposite direction, instead of willingly entering into her relationship with a man who was going to be her boss.

It was hard not to think about him when his scent still clung to her sheets. That had been the hardest part about last night. Eventually, it had driven her from her bed and into the rest of the tequila. She had finally managed to pass out on the couch when the nausea hit her and she had bolted upstairs. Meredith was surprised that he had managed to sleep through it as long as he did. He had certainly surprised her. No one had ever taken care of her like that while she suffered through her self inflicted hangovers. Of course, he probably felt guilty because he had been the cause of her drinking last night.

Good, she decided. It served him right for being all McDreamy like. It was all his fault with his charming smile and his...well everything. If he wasn't so damn perfect, she would have been able to tell him to take a hike. Instead, he was perfect and she was screwed. And not in a way she particularly liked.

Meredith pulled her pillow over her head and groaned. She was so screwed.

He came home to a quiet house. Meredith's Jeep was in the driveway, so he knew she hadn't gone anywhere. She was probably still suffering the after effects of her night with Jose' Cuervo

He ascended the stairs as quietly as possible, knowing she must have one hell of a headache. The door to her room was slightly ajar and he pushed it open the rest of the way. There she was , sprawled out on her bed with nothing but the same baggy t-shirt she'd been wearing before, and apparently passed out. Derek smiled in spite of himself. Then he slipped off his shoes and stripped down before crawling into the bed with her and gathering her in his arms. She grunted and then proceeded to bury her face in his neck.

" I'm never drinking again , " she whined.

Derek just laughed.


	10. Day Eight

" Tell me something about you that no one else knows, " Derek demanded playfully.

Meredith gave him a crooked smile and rolled her eyes. Then, she pursed her lips and began to think about her answer. It was late afternoon and they were leaning up against the railing on one of Derek's obsessions. The man loved ferryboats. Meredith personally never spent much time on them, as they reminded her too much of her mother. Every morning they'd take a ferryboat ride on her way to work.

" I was the rebel in high school. Wore all black and dyed my hair pink, " She finally answered.

Derek looked at her skeptically.

" You dyed your hair pink, " He asked her, obviously finding it hard to believe.

" It was more of a piss my mother off type of deal, " Meredith shrugged before firing her own question back. " What about you ?"

" I didn't always want to be a doctor. I wanted to be a writer, " Derek replied after a moment.

" I could see you as a writer. What did you want to write about? "

He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, the barest hint of a smile on his face.

" I don't know. I never got that far. "

They were both quiet for a while, listening to the sound of the water churning beneath them. Derek swung his arm loosely around her waist and she nestled closer to him, seeking warmth from the cool breeze coming up from the water. It was amazing how little thought she actually put into doing the things she did with him. Her actions and reactions to him just seemed to come naturally. Tilting her head up to look at him, she asked a question that had been plaguing her thoughts for a few days.

" Were you scared when you first started your internship? "

Derek laughed and pulled her closer to him, wrapping her securely in both of his arms.

" I spent most of my internship being terrified. You live in a constant state of paranoia. You're taught to never second guess yourself, but you spend most of your time doing it. Being an intern is just terrifying in it. "

Meredith looked thoughtful. He rubbed her arms, trying to chase some of the chill from her small frame.

" I don't think Richard's wife likes me a whole lot, " She said out of nowhere. Derek sighed. This was bound to come up sooner or later. Slowly, he turned her to face him. She looked confused and he pushed a stray lock of hair out of her face.

" Adele's problem isn't with you. It's with me. You know I've known Richard and Adele for a long time. Adele is good friends with my soon to be ex wife, " Derek admitted quietly. He kept his eyes trained on her face waiting for some kind of response. She stiffened in his arms and he braced himself for the fallout of his admission.

" I'm sorry, did you just tell me she was good friends with your wife, " Meredith's voice raised a little bit at the end, attracting the attention of the few people standing around them.

" No, I said she was friends with my soon to be ex wife. Those are key words in that sentence, Meredith, " Derek clarified.

" So she thinks I'm the dirty mistress. Great, not only am I screwing my boss, but I'm screwing my married boss, " She started to go off on one of her little rants, but found herself silenced by Derek's finger over her lips. She glared at him, but shut up and allowed him to speak.

" First of all, she knows Addison and I are separated. The only reason we aren't divorced yet is because due to some stupid New York law, we have to be legally separated for six months before I can file for divorce. And yes, I'm the one who wanted the divorce. I found her in my bed with my best friend, " Derek sounded a lot more bitter at the end than he meant too.

" Oh. So what am I? Your rebound girl? The girl you're screwing to get over being screwed?"

Derek shook his head at her, cupping her chin in his hand, making sure he was looking straight into her eyes when he answered her.

" No. You, Meredith Grey, are like coming up for fresh air. It's like I was drowning and you saved me. That's all I know right now, " He said softly before leaning in and placing gentle kiss on her lips.

She didn't pull away.

Derek was surprised by how much better he felt by having all of his secrets out in the open. If there was one thing in life that he had learned, it was that secrets weren't anybody's friend. They had a way of sneaking up and biting you in the ass when you least expected it. At least now he wouldn't be constantly looking over his shoulder or worrying about her finding about Addison from someone else besides him. He really could start over with a clean slate.

Realistically, he knew Meredith was pleased with him right now, but he also knew had he waited longer to tell her that the situation would have turned out a lot worse. This way, they at least had a shot of working through it. Which was really all he wanted was the chance to prove to her that she wasn't just his rebound girl. That thought alone had taken him by surprise. She wasn't just his rebound girl. She was a beautiful and intelligent woman that he wanted to build a relationship and possibly a life with. Coming to that realization after knowing her a mere week scared the hell out of him.

It was good for him that fear was never something he ran from.

It was almost midnight when Meredith returned to the house, alone. Derek had been called into the hospital and while she was grateful for the time alone to sort out her thoughts, she couldn't help but think how empty the house was without him. Finding out that he was her boss had been a huge shock to her system, but then to find out that he was married as well?

_Separated, her subconscious reminded her._

Okay, separated. Whatever. She couldn't exactly blame him for not saying something about it sooner though. Who wanted to talk about finding their spouse in bed with their best friend? Besides, it hadn't exactly been like she asked. She had just assumed. Assuming was getting her in a lot of trouble this week.

So now she sat curled up on the sofa with a pint of Ben and Jerry's that she had picked up on her way home. Derek had said he didn't know how long he'd be, so she figured now would be as good of a time as any to wallow in her misery. Except she found she wasn't all that miserable. He had corrected her and rather forcefully when she had accused him of using her to get over being screwed. The absolutely crazy part was that she kind of believed him.

He was flawed just like every other human being in the world. She wouldn't fault him for that, especially when she was guilty of the same. They were both equally screwed up. He over his wife and her over her mother. She felt a pang of guilt, knowing that he had been honest with her and she was still keeping this huge secret about her mother. Sooner or later, the topic would come up and she'd have to come clean, but she had promised her mother she wouldn't tell anyone.

That was her dilemma. She'd made this huge promise to her mother, not realizing the toll that it was going to take on her because at the end of the day the only person who could comfort Meredith was Meredith herself. Sometimes, she thought it would be nice, if someone else knew her secret, if for no other reason for her to have someone to talk too. Keeping secrets sucked.

She scowled down at her now empty container of ice cream. So much for comfort food. Tossing the container into the garbage and throwing the dirty spoon in the sink, Meredith trudged upstairs. The house was eerily silent and truth be told, it kind of freaked her out. She hated the quiet. Stripping out of her clothes , she crawled under the blankets and sighed. Even her freaking bed seemed empty without Derek in it. She didn't want to dwell on what that meant.

It was many hours later when she heard the creak of the stairs and Derek appeared in her doorway. She'd been dozing on and off for quite some time, never actually able to fall into a comfortable sleep. She blinked against the light from the hall and he shut the door quietly behind him. He was silent as he shed his clothes and crawled into the bed beside her. He didn't reach for her, just simply laid on his back staring at the ceiling. Meredith frowned and gazed at him thoughtfully.

" How'd it go at the hospital, " She asked gently.

Derek shrugged before answering.

" I couldn't stop the bleeding in his brain, " He said gruffly, emotion clogging his words.

Meredith didn't say anything, just simply leaned over and kissed him. His hand tangled in her hair as he responded in kind to her kiss. She pulled away after a minute, looking down at him. He held her gaze for a bit before his eyes wandered down to her lips. He pulled her down to him and kissed her fiercely before rolling her underneath him. She didn't say anything, just merely helped wash away his pain the only way she knew how.

Outside, the sun was coming up.


	11. Day Nine

A/N: **I'm so incredibly grateful for all the wonderful reviews. I started this story out as something completely different and I wanted to stick as close to what happened on the show as possible, but these characters have kind of taken a life of their own. This story will be drawing to a close soon, so my next question to you guys becomes should I end it with their first working day or would you guys be interested in reading a sequel? **

It was late in the evening when Meredith awoke to the sound of annoying beeping. She glared hatefully at Derek's pager, half tempted to throw it across the room. Instead, she shoved not so gently at her bed partner in an attempt to wake him up. He grunted and threw his arm over his eyes before reaching over and picking up his pager, effectively stopping the source of her annoyance.

" I hate that thing, " Meredith grumbled as she attempted to bury her head under her pillow. Derek's body curled next to hers momentarily as his hand pushed her hair off her neck and his mouth made contact with skin.

" Yeah, well get used to it. You'll be getting one of your very own soon , Dr. Grey, " Derek informed her cheekily and she rolled over to glare at him.

" You broke your own rule, " She stated.

" I suppose I did. What are _you _going to do about it, " Meredith knew a challenge when she heard one. Normally, she would have given some smart ass answer, but she decided payback was better when least expected.

" Don't you have a patient or something to check on, " She answered innocently.

Derek sighed and rolled away from her, realizing that she was in fact correct. He couldn't ignore pages from the hospital, even if he wanted too. Staying in bed the rest of the day seemed like a much better option, but he had signed away his hours of sleep when he had made the decision to become a doctor.

" Are you going to get up, " He asked as he headed towards the bathroom.

" I might as well. This bed is far less entertaining when you're not in it. "

" Oh, it's good to know I can entertain you, "

" Screaming orgasms do keep me entertained. You're good at those, " Meredith called out, not realizing what she said until it was out of her mouth. Sometimes the filter between her brain and her mouth didn't work the way she wanted it too.

" I , for one, do not believe that those words just came out of your mouth. Nor do I believe how incredibly turned on I am right now, " Derek grinned at her from the doorway.

" Well, I guess that just goes to show that you are after all a typical man. Here I was thinking you were all perfect, but you are after all just the average male. "

" Meri , you of all people should know , there is nothing average about me, " A cocky grin on spread across his face and Meredith rolled her eyes.

" Was that a reference to your penis size? Nevermind. Seriously, you have to go to work! I don't want Webber anymore irritated with us than he's already going to be. "

Derek sighed before crossing the room and kissing her lightly, grabbing his keys and pager from the nightstand.

" Killjoy, " He tossed over his shoulder as he headed out.

He was already out the door when she spotted his cell phone lying on the floor.

It had taken him a good two hours to realize it was missing and Meredith was staring at the small metal device when it rang. She looked at the display seeing the number from Seattle Grace flash across it. She debated on whether or not to answer it before she finally pressed the talk button. Derek's voice greeted her.

" I was hoping you'd answer, " He sounded relieved.

" I wasn't going to at first, but then I recognized the number, " She admitted.

" I'm glad you did. Listen, I know this breaks all kinds of rules here, but is there anyway you could bring it to me, " She could hear the apology in his voice even as he was asking.

She sighed. This really wasn't going to look good. On the upside though, no one else had began their internship just yet so if she was seen with him just this once, it couldn't really hurt anything.

" Yeah. I have to go to the grocery store anyways. We don't have any food, " She stated simply.

" I'll see you when you get here. I don't have anymore surgeries, but I have some patients I need to follow-up with, so just meet me at my office. Tell one of the nurses to page me, " Derek gave her directions to find his office and then hung up.

She'd been waiting for a good fifteen minutes when she heard him coming down the hall. Her head turned in his direction and she scowled when she noticed he wasn't alone. A tall black man was walking beside him and they were both apparently engrossed in their conversation. She recognized him as Dr. Burke. She'd seen him at the mixer last week. Rumor had it he was in line to be the next chief of surgery. Great. Derek finally noticed her and she could almost hear the wheels in his head turning as he tried to figure out how to get rid of his colleague. Unfortunately, he seemed to be coming up empty. The two of them stopped beside Derek's office and she bit back the groan that was trying to escape. Dr. Burke looked at her oddly.

" It was good talking to you , Dr. Burke. Maybe we can get together sometime and have a drink, " Derek subtly tried to veer his attention away from Meredith.

Luckily, he took the hint, bid his goodbye and made his way down the hall. She caught him looking over his shoulder as Derek unlocked his office door and ushered her inside.

" I'm sorry. I tried to get rid of him, but he just wouldn't go."

He noticed she didn't look pleased, but she didn't say anything either.

" Really, Meredith. I am sorry. He's the last person I would want to know, believe me , " Reaching for her, he pulled her against him and dropped an apologetic kiss to her forehead.

" I know you're sorry and I know it wasn't intentional, it's just...that's Dr. Burke. When I was at that stupid mixer the other night, I heard the rumors about how he would be taking Webber's place one day , " She took note of Derek's face and how it became unreadable for a moment, but then as quick as she saw it, the look was gone.

" Ahhh, so that's the incredibly dull work function you came from the other night. There's a reason I avoid functions like that, " Derek teased her.

She narrowed her eyes at him and shoved him away playfully before reaching into her coat pocket and pulling out his cell phone.

" I believe this is what I came here for, " She tossed the phone on his desk and turned to go, but he caught her by the arm.

" Thank you. I know you didn't want too, but thank you anyways , " He flashed her that McDreamy smile and she melted.

" Just don't make a habit of it. Otherwise, keeping this secret will be a lot harder than either of us thought, " Meredith warned him half-heartedly.

He kissed her quickly before reaching into his back pocket and pulling out his wallet. She looked at him confused when he handed her a few twenties and folded up piece of paper.

" You said you were going grocery shopping," Derek reminded her.

" I did. I didn't mean you had to pay for it, " Meredith answered.

" I'm covering my part of the bills. That includes grocery shopping, " He clarified as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

She tried to keep the ridiculous grin off her face, but she failed miserably.

" Okay. See you at home, Dr. Shepherd, " Meredith called over her shoulder as she walked out of his office.

Maybe this relationship thing wasn't so bad after all.


	12. Day Ten

Morning broke and Derek found himself alone in the house. Meredith had slipped out of the house early, taking off to who knew where. He often wondered where she disappeared to some days. Whenever she'd come home, she looked as though she had the weight of the world on her shoulders and she absolutely would not talk about it. He was learning not to push her, as the only thing that accomplished was pushing her further away from him. Patience was a virtue. It was just a virtue he did not possess. Which made not knowing what was bothering her all the more aggravating.

She had made some progress in unpacking the boxes and making the house more livable, but Derek decided to give her a hand and clean up a little bit. They kept the kitchen clean for the most part, so really all he had to do was run the dishwasher. No, the major task was in the living room and the hallway. Boxes were stacked up and while he didn't want to go through her personal stuff, he was hoping he could at least make it easier to walk.

It became very obvious to him that Meredith was not an organized woman. Things that belonged in the kitchen were in the living room and things that belonged upstairs were in the hallway. He supposed it was because she didn't have anyone to help her take it upstairs. So he set about the task of making their house look more presentable, if for no other reason than to give them more space. It was an odd thought. _Their _house.

In all honesty, he hadn't even began to make plans for his own house. For the moment, he was okay with being here with her. It didn't make sense for him to build a house now, when he was rarely ever home anyways. When he was, he was generally holed up here with Meredith, something he didn't mind at all. It had occurred to him last night when she had came to the hospital that he just might be falling in love with this woman. Which was crazy right? After all, he knew so little about her.

Except it didn't seem to matter. He felt light and happy when she was around. Just looking at her made the worst of days seem more bearable. It had nothing to do with the fact that she could make him laugh or that the best sleep he had gotten in ages was with her tucked securely in his arms.

Shaking himself from such deep thoughts, he took a look around the living room and was amazed at the progress he had made. What boxes he didn't know what to do with were stacked up in a small pile, while the rest were put away nicely. He'd even carried some of the boxes upstairs and put them in the extra room at the end of the hall. Feeling pleased with himself, he sat down on the sofa and looked around at the room.

He was startled when he heard the front door slam. He saw a flash of blonde as Meredith tore through the hallway and into the kitchen. Derek was on his feet in a flash, following after her and calling her name. He was halfway into the kitchen when he realized what she was going for. The liquor cabinet. He approached her carefully from behind and was surprised to see her eyes were puffy and red. It looked as though she'd been crying.

" Meri? What's wrong, " Concern laced through his voice and he was even more surprised when she buried herself against his chest and began to cry in earnest. His arms came around her automatically, one hand stroking her hair and the other rubbing her back. He tried again.

" Meredith, what's wrong? What's got you so upset?" He gently pulled away from her and looked down at her. Tears were slowly tracking down her face. She shook her head at him and looked down.

" I can't tell you, " She whispered brokenly.

" Sure you can. Tell me the problem and I'll tell you how to fix it, " Derek replied simply.

" No. I mean, I really _can't _tell you. It's not that I don't want too...it's just that I'm not allowed too, " She clarified.

"Not allowed too? Meredith, what's going on," She heard the alarm in his voice and she felt horrible. He really wanted to help her, but she couldn't break her word to her mother.

" I'm sorry, Derek. I just...can't."

" Okay, well is it something I did?" He tried wracking his brain thinking of anything he might have done to upset her, but he came up empty.

" No, no. It's not you."

" Alright then. Are you hurt?"

" No."

" You just can't tell me?"

She nodded miserably. He let out a deep breath and pulled her back against him.

"It's okay. I know you'll tell me when you're ready," He said after a moment.

Sometimes patience really was a bitch.

She'd gone upstairs to shower, hoping to wash away the misery of the day. She'd been visiting with her mother who hadn't been having one of her better days. In fact, today was one of those days she didn't even know who Meredith was. She'd tried being patient with her mother, but Ellis had finally just snapped on her and Meredith had left the nursing home in tears. She knew logically it wasn't her mother's fault, but on days like this it didn't make it hurt any less.

Meredith had left Derek standing down in the kitchen, with promises that she was okay and that she merely had just had a crappy day. He'd been understanding, but she could see from the way he was looking at her that he knew she was lying. He'd told her to go take a shower and put on some comfortable clothes, that he wanted to take her somewhere. Too tired to argue, Meredith simply did as he asked.

Now, they were in his car, driving out to god knows where. They'd had to take a ferryboat to get wherever it was they were going. That alone had put a smile on Derek's face. She didn't quite understand his obsession with ferryboats sometimes, but seeing him smile made her smile. Civilization had disappeared a while ago and now they were out in the middle of the woods. She could see the moon reflecting off the water up ahead. Which made her even more confused when the car stopped.

" Where are we, " She asked as soon as he came around to open the door for her.

" I just thought you could use some peace and quiet after the day you had, " was all he said as he went around to the back of the car and popped open the trunk. He reappeared beside her a moment later carrying a blanket and a picnic basket. Meredith looked at him surprised, a slow smile spreading across her face.

" When did you have time to do all this?"

" While you were in the shower, " He grinned at her as he took her hand, tucking the blanket under one arm.

" You're sneaky. I like that, " She laughed as they began to walk.

" Well it's nice to know you like something about me other than the screaming orgasms, " Derek replied saucily.

Meredith stopped and turned to look at him.

" It's not about the screaming orgasms. I mean they're a plus. I like that you don't push I like that you're honest with me. I just like _you_, " She admitted quietly.

Derek smiled at her boyishly.

" I like you too."


	13. Day Eleven

It occurred to her the next afternoon that in three days she would be starting her internship.

Meredith hadn't really thought about it all that much, her mind to preoccupied with thoughts of her mother and thoughts of Derek. In three days, she would not only be a doctor, but she would be working along side the man that she lived with. Somehow, they were going to have to be able to keep it a secret. Only Webber knew so far, but Meredith had the sneaking suspicion that Dr. Burke had known something was up that night outside Derek's office. She'd have to be especially careful not to piss him off.

Feeling stir crazy, she whipped out her cell phone and dialed the number of one of the girl's she'd met at the mixer. Cristina Yang. They'd hit it off, but Cristina like Meredith had left early. She'd given her number to Meredith before leaving, telling her they should do lunch sometime. Now seemed like as good of time as any. Derek wouldn't be home for hours if at all tonight, saying he had at least four surgeries on the board when he had called her that morning.

After confirming with Cristina that they would meet at a little bistro not far from the hospital, Meredith darted up the stairs to change out of her yoga pants and t-shirt. Donning a pair of jeans a stretchy long sleeve shirt, she grabbed her keys and her phone before heading out. She got there in no time and waited impatiently for her sort of friend to show. She was surprised but not to see Cristina walking in, holding a motorcycle helmet in one hand. Cristina seemed like a live life on the edge type of girl.

" Hey, " Cristina greeted as she sat down across from her.

" Hey," Meredith repeated back.

" I'm glad you called. I thought I was going to have to kill my neighbor with his freakin' loud ass music, " Her friend replied as she picked up a menu.

" I was going stir crazy anyways, " Meredith shrugged.

" So what's good here? "

" I don't know. I just remembered seeing this place and thought it'd be easy for both of us to get too. "

" Well you're certainly helpful, aren't you? "

Meredith laughed and continued reading over the menu.

Neither girl had particularly felt like going home after their late lunch, so they decided to head over to Joe's. Joe grinned broadly when he saw Meredith.

" Well, hey there stranger, haven't seen you or Mr. Tall, Dark and Handsome in a while, "

Cristina watched Meredith carefully. She seemed to be nervous about something and it took her a minute to answer.

" We've just been busy, " She replied evasively.

" What's that about, " Cristina asked after Joe turned away to fix their drinks.

" Nothing."

" You can't lie to me, Meredith. I can spot a liar. I am a liar. I know the signs very well, " Cristina said to her in a matter of fact tone.

" Seriously, it's nothing, " Meredith assured her.

" Whatever, " Cristina laughed.

Derek had wanted nothing more than to just go home and sleep when Preston Burke had caught up with him and asked him if he wanted to go for a drink. Deciding that maybe a single malt scotch would help him unwind, he agreed. He had told Meredith not to wait up for him, because he didn't know when he'd be home. That's why when he walked into Joe's and saw her holding court at a table with a girl and two other guys, his already bad night got worse.

She didn't see him enter and he wanted to keep it that way. This situation was already screwed up enough. He was here with his co-worker, who in very few days would also be the boss of his girlfriend, who was sitting across the bar obviously smashed. Feeling more than just a little hurt, he made his way to the bar while Preston went to the bathroom.

" I was just talking to your girlfriend about you, not two hours ago, " Joe said by way of greeting.

" So she's been at it for two hours huh? How many shots, " Derek asked as he turned to look at her. Her back was to him, so she didn't see him,

" Well, she was doing alright until that friend of hers invited those two schmucks to sit with them. Ever since, she's been downing my tequila like water, " He replied, his distaste of the two men apparent.

Unable to do anything, Derek just simply glared.

" Hey don't look now, Mer, but there's a really hot guy sending you some serious looks, " Cristina giggled as she downed her latest shot.

" Oh? What's he look like? "

" He's totally hot. Dark hair, great eyes, nice body."

Meredith felt the beginnings of dread forming in her stomach. She refused to turn around. Instead, she looked at Cristina very seriously.

" What's he wearing? "

" Khaki pants and a sweater over a button down, " Cristina described, her eyes never looking away from the said hot guy.

_Crap, Meredith thought._

" I think I'm going to be sick, " was all Meredith said as she dropped her head down on to the table.

" What's the matter with her, " Cristina asked the two guys sitting with them.

She was answered with clueless looks and shoulder shrugs.

Derek had been trying his damndest not to stare at her and pay attention to what his colleague was saying, but he was finding it increasingly difficult. He'd picked a table where he could keep an eye on her without looking suspicious. Except anytime he saw one of the guys lean towards her and whisper something to her, his fist clenched under the table. He simply tried to focus on what Preston was saying and give appropriate answers. He was more than a little relieved when he saw his friend glance at his watch and realize just how late it was.

" Well, Derek, I'm going to call it a night, " Preston said as he stood.

" We'll have to do this again sometime," Derek responded politely as he stood himself and shook Preston's hand.

" Just let me know when, " He replied and with that he was gone.

It seemed like hours ticked by before the two guys got a clue. At least in Derek's mind. With Preston gone, he was free to go over and say something to her, but the look she sent him stopped him from doing just that. Instead, he moved to the bar taking a seat in front of the table so he would be able to overhear their conversation.

" Alright, Meredith. I think I'm going to call it a night too. I'll see you at work, okay? " Cristina slurred as she got to her feet.

" Seriously, Cristina, let me call you a cab. There's no way you can drive, " Meredith pleaded with her friend.

" Nah. I don't live that far from here. I'll just walk, " Cristina replied as she waved goodbye to both Meredith and Joe.

Once Cristina was out the door, Meredith turned around in her chair to look at him. She looked utterly miserable and for that he took pity on her.

" So on a scale of one to pissed, how mad are you? "

" Mildly irritated. You're not driving home by the way, "

Meredith's head dropped back down on the table.

" Secrets suck, " She muttered.

" I'm not inclined to argue with that one. Can we go home now, " Derek's voice was amazingly calm.

Standing on shaky feet, Meredith held her hand out to him.

" Lead the way, Jeeves ."


	14. Day Twelve

**A/N: So we only have two more chapters to go. This story will end with Meredith's first day at the hospital and the sequel will pick up not long after that. For those of you, wanting the appearance of Addie, yes she will be in the sequel and she will be there to cause drama, but have no fear. By the time I bring Addison in, she'll be no big threat. She may even get a few surprises of her own. **

Pain. There was lots of pain going on in Meredith's head. It was almost like the Disney World Parade was being held in her head. And there were drums. Lots and lots of drums. Groaning miserably, Meredith buried her head under her pillow. Flashes of last night came back to her. Having lunch with Cristina and then going over to Joe's, where she consumed an ungodly amount of tequila. There was a fuzzy picture of Derek in there, which she didn't understand until she thought about it for a minute.

Derek had been there. He had been how she had gotten home last night. He had been irritated with her after coming in to find her with two boys. Bleh. The boys were Cristina's doing. Meredith had McDreamy and she didn't need boys. What more could a girl want than a really hot neurosurgeon who was not only an amazing person, but could give her toe curling orgasms?

Except he wasn't in the bed with her at this current moment. She groped around blindly, grabbing the first piece of clothing she could find. Derek's shirt.

With more energy than she had, she slipped it over her shoulders and began to work on the buttons as she made her way down the stairs. She could smell coffee. Coffee was good. She just needed coffee and lots of aspirin. Not necessarily in that order. She stumbled into the kitchen murmuring a half hearted good morning to Derek, who was sitting at the table eating a bowl of cereal.

Aspirin. She needed aspirin. The light was hurting her as due to the fact the sun was up. Duh, Meredith. That's what happened during the daytime. The sun was out. Successful in her search, she eagerly popped open the bottle and nearly sighed with pleasure. Relief was on it's way. No more Disney World Parade. She grabbed a glass from the dishwasher and filled it with water, very quickly downing the medicine. Next, she went in search of her mug and filled it to the brim with coffee, before finally taking a seat across from her boyfriend.

" I'm a bad girlfriend, " Meredith announced.

" You're not a bad girlfriend, " Derek glanced at her before picking up the newspaper.

" I am. I'm a horrible girlfriend. Not only did I go to a bar with a friend and have way too much to drink, there was flirting going on. Flirting in which I did not stop, " She declared.

" Meredith-, " He started to say, but she apparently wasn't done.

" Did I mention the part that not only was there flirting and drinking going on, but that my boyfriend happened to walk in on said flirting and drinking. Except we couldn't say anything because he's my boss and he was having a drink with another guy whose going to be my boss. "

" You're cute when you ramble. Seriously. It was a bad situation that was probably bound to happen sooner or later anyways. The important part is that we got through it, " He reasoned.

" But Derek, you're good at sneaky. I suck at sneaky. I'm afraid I'm going to screw up one time and then the whole world is going to know that I'm the intern screwing her attending. I'll never have any credibility as a doctor because people will just assume I slept my way to the top. You don't have anything to prove, but I do."

" Worrying causes wrinkles, " Derek stated as he grinned across the table at her.

She shot him a dirty look across the table. He sighed and put the paper down, reaching across to take her hand.

" No one said this is going to be easy. It's going to be hard sometimes, but I don't want to not try just because you're afraid. "

" I just hate lying, " Meredith sulked.

" Look at it this way, once you've been in the program for a while and everyone sees how brilliant you are, we won't have to hide it anymore. Chief already knows and he's not thrilled about it, but he's not trying to kill us either. We'll make it through this just fine, " Derek reassured her.

" Okay, but can we not talk about this anymore? I have a hangover which really isn't conducive to deep serious thought processes, " She looked at him pitifully and he rolled his eyes good naturedly.

" You're so not off the hook, Meri," He promised as he went back to reading his newspaper.

" I can hardly wait," Meredith dryly answered, eyeing him skeptically.

Good as his word, he waited until she was feeling better before he brought it up again. Of course, he had the advantage because they had just had some _really _great sex and her brain was practically mush. Meredith was sprawled across his chest with his hand resting lightly on her back and she was still fighting to catch her breath.

" So are you still freaked out over the whole keeping it a secret thing, " Derek himself sounded slightly out of breath.

" You're not serious. You expect me to have this conversation after _that?_"

Derek looked at her wide eyes and innocent, as if he had no idea what she was talking about. She propped herself up and looked down at him, half amused and half shocked. He really wanted to talk about this now?

" You're annoyingly persistent, " She stated.

" And you're trying to change the subject. "

" Okay fine. It's just that I'm a horrible liar, "

"It's not lying. It's preventing others from finding out information that they couldn't digest properly, " Derek realized how stupid that sounded even as he said it.

" Digest properly? Okay, even I can admit how bad that analogy sucked , " Meredith smirked.

" Well my brain isn't exactly functioning on the higher levels either, here , " He pouted , as he rolled her over and pinned her beneath him.

" You're the one who wanted to talk about it! "

" Okay, well that's enough talking for now. We can talk later , " There was that smirk again. Meredith raised an eyebrow at him.

" You can't possibly be ready to go again. There's no way. "

Except there was a way because his mouth found her neck and began to nibble on the skin there. Forming a thought that didn't amount to 'don't stop' became impossible and she finally gave up trying.

Hours later, she would wake up to see him sleeping deeply beside her. His leg was slung over hers and his arm draped arm around her middle. Not really all that tired, she simply watched him. One hand barely skimmed the profile of his face while the other made lazy circles on his arm. He being Derek slept right through it because she was pretty certain he could sleep through most anything anyways. She had determined there was really only one sure fire way to wake him up, but she was too tired to even attempt it. So instead, Meredith just scooted closer to him and closed her eyes.

She said a silent prayer to whatever god that was listening, thanking them for Derek.


	15. Day Thirteen

" I start my internship tomorrow, " Meredith told her mother. They were sitting in the visitors lounge in her mother's nursing home. She had wanted to come visit before starting work, knowing that she would be dead tired after she completed her first shift. Her mom seemed to be having an okay day, all things considered.

" I decided not to sell the house, too. It's home, you know? I've even got a roommate. Well, he's more of a boyfriend than a roommate, but he's helping with the bills. I think you'd like him. His name's Derek, " She watched carefully for a sign that even some of what she was telling her mother was sinking in. Ellis nervously twisted her watch on her wrist.

" Derek, huh? What's he do, " She ticket her gaze over to her daughter, as if she wasn't entirely sure that she was actually there and looking at her too long would make her disappear.

Meredith smiled and reached out, stopping her mother's nervous behavior. She took the older woman's hand in hers.

" He's a doctor. Like me, " She replied softly.

" I think I used to be a doctor once, " Ellis looked out the window, eyes scrunched as if she was concentrating hard on trying to remember.

" You were, Mom. You were a surgeon, " Meredith told her mother proudly.

" Right, " Ellis replied distractedly.

Pleased that she'd had at least a semi-successful visit with her mother, Meredith returned home hoping to find Derek waiting for her. She was disappointed to find that he wasn't. Deciding that her last night before work was ruined, she trudged up the stairs to her room. She'd left it in a state of disarray so she was more than perplexed to see that it was neat and tidy. The bed was turned down and there was an envelope laying across her pillow. Meredith opened it cautiously, uncertain of what to expect. Derek's familiar scrawl met her eyes and she smiled to herself.

_Meredith, _

_I couldn't get tonight off due to surgeries that had been previously scheduled. I know that tomorrow is the beginning of a whole new life for you and with that life is going to come a ton of stress. So I took the liberty of trying to make your last night as a non working woman as stress free as possible. Dinner's in the oven and there's a surprise for you in the bathroom. Good luck on your first day as a doctor. _

_Derek_

As a general rule, she didn't like surprises. Derek had gone to all the trouble though, so she figured checking it out couldn't hurt. Crossing the hall and pushing open the bathroom door, she spotted a huge gift basket resting precariously on the sink. On the toilet, there was a large folded up terrycloth robe. Moving closer, she got a better look at the fragrance. Lavender. Apparently, he knew her better than she suspected. Lavender was the fragrance in her conditioner. She'd never have guessed he actually paid attention to little things like that. Eagerly, she began to root through the basket, finding body wash, bath salts, lotions and anything else Derek had managed to throw in there.

Reaching on her side, she pulled her cell phone from it's clip and dialed his number. . It went to voicemail after two rings. She had suspected it would. It didn't bother her in the slightest though, because she'd never been good with expressing gratitude.

" Normally, I hate surprises. Bad surprises. This surprise though? It's a good one. Thank you. " She felt like a nervous little girl school, trying to talk to her crush for the very first time. Not wanting to make a bigger fool out of herself, she ended the call. Then, she gleefully dug into her basket of goodies.

" Did that clock do something to you in particular, Shep, " Richard's voice knowingly asked.

He whirled around to find his Chief of Surgery watching him, an amused expression on his face.

" Oh, uh no. I just...didn't eat this morning. Ready to get off so I can grab a bite to eat , " Derek turned back to face the surgery board.

" Uh-huh. Do you think I have stupid tattooed across my forehead, Derek? I know why you're in such a hurry to get out of here ," Richard stepped up beside him, checking the board over for himself.

" I don't have any idea what you're talking about, Richard , " He answered innocently.

Richard sighed and shook his head. Derek heard him mumble something under his breath.

" I'm probably really going to regret this and don't think I'm in anyway condoning your behavior, but get the hell out of here, Shepherd. I don't want you tinkering around in someone's brain if you aren't 100 focused . "

Derek turned to look at him, a hurt expression coming over his features.

" Let me clarify something for you. My personal life has no bearing on my capability as a surgeon. I resent that you think that, " He informed him defensively.

" Okay hold on a second. That didn't come out the way I intended it to. What I meant is that we can handle things here if you'd like to go home.. Anything serious comes up we'll page you. And I had better see you on your absolute best behavior come tomorrow. "

Derek hid a smile as he turned away and pulled his scrub cap off, hurrying towards the locker room.

Richard rolled his eyes as his head neurologist scurried off down the hall.

Arriving home, he heard the TV blaring. He dropped his briefcase on the floor beside the entrance to the living room. There was Meredith, clad in only the robe he had bought for her, with her feet propped up, painting her toenails and apparently engrossed in whatever was on the television. She smiled happily at him when she saw him and picked up the remote to pause the TV.

" Well, you certainly look nice and relaxed," He observed.

" I am. I soaked in a bath for about thirty minutes and I have pampered myself with these amazing gifts that I got today, " Meredith replied, giving him a sideways grin as she went back to painting her toes.

" Ah. Someone must really like you to have gone to all that trouble , " Derek called as he headed into the kitchen to grab a beer.

" I guess so, " She yelled back. Meredith could hear him laugh and then he was coming back into the living room, taking a seat beside her and throwing his arm behind her on the sofa.

" So what are we watching , " He asked as he swiped the remote from beside her and pressed play.

" Oh. Uh - " She didn't get to finish as the images flashed back up on the screen. Derek looked confused for a moment before it dawned on him what exactly she had been watching.

" Is that your mother? "

" I guess I thought it would be a good way to get prepared for tomorrow. "

His head cocked to the side and he watched the tv intently, trying to figure out exactly what kind of procedure her mother was performing. His eyes got wide when he realized she had just pulled the guys face off.

" Did she just really..." He looked to his girlfriend for confirmation of what he had just saw and couldn't help but laugh when he saw the look of giddiness on her face.

" She really did , " Meredith replied and situated herself to where she was curled up underneath his arm. Shaking his head, he put the remote down on the table and sat back to watch the rest of it with her.

" You, Meredith Grey, are going to do just fine as a surgeon. "


	16. Day Fourteen

The alarm had been going off for a good twenty minutes before Meredith finally heard it. Derek was still slumbering beside her and she threw the blankets off the bed, cursing. Derek sat up immediately, blinking the sleep from his eyes.

" What time is it , " He asked, yawning.

" I'm late, Derek! I'm late for my first day of work! "

" Meri, calm down. You already have your clothes laid out, just go jump in the shower real quick and you'll be all set , " He flopped back down on the bed, burying his face in the pillow.

" Easy for you to say, Mr. I Get To Make My Own Schedule, you're never late for anything! "

Derek groaned loudly and pulled the blanket back over his head. He could already tell it was going to be a bad day.

She'd slipped out the door without even kissing him goodbye, still irrationally miffed at his ability to be able to sleep through the damn alarm. Now she was late and being late on your first day wasn't what you wanted to be. No, you wanted to be on time for your first day, early even. Not Meredith though. No, Meredith was already screwing herself in her medical career, even if only three people knew it. She was screwing her attending. Okay, well she wasn't just screwing him, she was dating him as well. Still, she didn't suppose _that_ made it any better.

And of course, she had to be given her tour of the hospital by the Chief of Surgery, who gave her a stern look as she tried to slip in unnoticed. Great, just freaking great. Already she had him questioning her abilities and she hadn't even been there an hour. She fell into step beside Cristina who shot her a quizzical look. She shook her head furiously, obviously not willing to discuss exactly what had made her late and turned her attention towards Dr. Webber.

After their tour, they all scurried into the locker room to change into their scrubs. She felt a rush slipping the cotton material on. She wondered if she always would or if it was just mere euphoria of officially being recognized as a doctor. She and Cristina bantered back and forth on what resident they got, only to be interrupted by a doe eyed boy that Cristina had been making fun of the mixer, saying he had the hots for Meredith.

Meeting Bailey had been an...experience. It was no wonder people called her the Nazi. She'd put her interns in their place straight off the bat. Katie Bryce was their first patient and Meredith was terrified when Bailey informed her that Katie was now her responsibility. It became quickly apparent to Meredith that she much rather preferred her knocked out than conscious and talking. The girl represented everything that she herself had hated about high school. On the plus side, Dr. Burke didn't seem to recognize her and Meredith was thanking someone up above for being on her side.

That was until Katie's parents showed up and had questions. She'd gone on a mad search for Bailey, trying to figure out just who exactly she was supposed to page for the parents to talk too. Bailey had of course been distracted, pointing in the direction of a tall dark haired man. It was in that moment she wanted to throw a hissy fit. She knew that dark haired man. Before Bailey even got the words "Dr. Shepherd" out of her mouth, she just knew. She'd stood there for a moment watching him talk to his colleagues before he caught her staring. He did a double take and she took off down the hallway, not prepared for having to work with him just yet. Derek being Derek wouldn't have it of course. She heard his footsteps behind her and she tried frantically to lose him. No such luck. He caught her by the arm and was pulling her into the stairwell He released her as soon as the door closed and she glared at him.

" Now, that's real professional, Dr. Grey , " He grinned at her as she checked the stairwell for eavesdroppers.

" Shut up, " she tossed back distractedly.

" Is that any way to talk to your attending , " His arms folded across his chest and he was obviously bating her. The grin had become a smirk and he had that all too familiar glint in his eyes.

" So Inappropriate. What if somebody saw us , " She hissed at him.

" Meredith, would you relax? I simply just wanted to find out how your first day was going, " His arms dropped to his side, obviously disappointed that she wouldn't play.

" It'd be going a lot better if I had anyone but _your _patient , " Meredith snapped at him. He looked surprised.

" You're the intern on Katie's case? "

" Yes. Her parents are here and they have questions. Bailey told me to find you. "

" Okay. I'll go talk to them. Seriously, Meredith. You can't run in the opposite direction every time you see me , "

" Dr. Grey , " She corrected him sternly.

" Right. Dr. Grey. Are you aware that you cheated me out of my kiss this morning? That hurts."

" You slept through the alarm."

" So did you. "

" It was your fault. You kept me up all night. "

" I beg to differ. It was _you _who kept _me _' up ' all night , " Derek replied, clearly pleased with himself.

" Derek! "

" I've got parents to talk too. I'll see you later , " He glanced around the stairwell quickly before dropping a kiss on her mouth, leaving her stunned before she called out after him.

" We are SO going to talk about this!"

Okay, so he'd broken the rules already. He knew she would probably kill him when they got home, but it had been worth it. He really had no clue up until she told him that she was the intern that had been assigned to Katie's case. Fate must be on their side or something, because he was anxious to see Meredith's skills as a doctor. This gave him the perfect opportunity to do just that.

Katie Bryce however might not be the best case to start off on, because he himself had no clue what was causing her seizures. Her parents were more than frustrated, understandably. He knew he'd be pissed if it was his kid and some doctor couldn't tell him what was wrong with her. Of course, Derek wouldn't be letting anyone else poke and prod his kid either. He'd do the tests himself.

He was confident in Meredith's abilities, but he wanted to see them in action. Which is right about the time his pager went off. 911 for Katie Bryce. He'd taken off down the halls realizing he had as much to prove to her as she did to him and not getting there in time didn't look good on his behalf. When he arrived, the room was full and Meredith looked flushed. He pushed his way into the room and over to Katie, checking her heart rate before finally looking up at Meredith.

" What the hell happened?"

" She had a seizure and her heart stopped-"

" A seizure? You were supposed to be watching her!"

" I checked on her and-"

" You know what? Just go, " Ouch. That had come out a little bit more harshly than he intended. He watched the hurt set into her eyes and he wanted to throw something. Right now though, his first obligation was to his patient. He could talk to Meredith later. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched her scurry out of the room and down the hall, obviously upset. Now, he really felt like an ass.

Well, she had certainly proved her doctoring skills to him. He'd kicked her out of the patients room without really even a second glance. That stung more than she'd like. So it had been hell sitting in the room with all the other interns, listening to him talk. Even if he was talking about a patient. She could see Richard standing out in the hall, looking in on him as he talked, so she kept herself despondent, even when he announced the incentive for helping him find the cause of Katie's seizures. She wanted in on that surgery if for no other reason than to prove to him that she wasn't incompetent. She was a good doctor.

Logically, she knew Dr. Webber would have a fit if he knew that she would be scrubbing in on Derek's surgery . They'd both probably get called into his office and receive a lecture on professionalism and favoritism. She agreed to work with Cristina, knowing that if they did manage to find the cure, that at least her friend would get the opportunity to scrub in on such an advanced procedure.

" So why don't you want to work with Shepherd, " Cristina's voice drew her from her thoughts.

" It's not that I don't want too. Okay, maybe it is. But I'm not talking about it. "

" Wait a minute! He was the hot guy in the bar the other night that was totally checking you out!"

" You think everyone's checking me out, Cristina."

" Not everyone. Just Georgie and Dr. Shepherd . Wait...you didn't go home with him did you? "

" Cristina! We're supposed to be working!"

" Oh my god... you did! "

" Okay, listen. I'll make you a deal. We get through this shift and I'll tell you what's going on, but NOT inside this hospital , " Meredith offered a compromise.

" Deal."

" Good. Now let's find out what's wrong with this girl, "

It was unfortunate for Meredith her theory was all wrong. She and Cristina did manage to find out what was wrong with Katie, but instead of letting Cristina scrub in, he told Meredith he'd see her in OR. So now Cristina was mad at her and she felt like crap. She'd tried to apologize to her new friend, but she wasn't having it. The only thing left to do was for Meredith go find Derek and get him to let Cristina scrub in as opposed to her.

She found him prepping Katie for surgery, shaving the underside of her hair.

" Promised I'd make her look cool. Apparently, being a bald beauty queen is the worst thing to happen in the history of the world, " He said once he glanced up and saw Meredith.

" Did you choose me for the surgery because I'm your girlfriend?"

" Well, now that wouldn't be very professional, would it?"

" You and professional aren't doing so hot today, "

" I chose you for the surgery because on your first day with very little training you helped save Katie's life. You earned your right to see her surgery through to the end and you shouldn't let the fact that we're dating get in the way of you taking your shot , "

" I'm not scrubbing in. You should ask Cristina. She really wants it, "

" Meredith, look. I jumped to conclusions earlier. I didn't have the full story. You earned your place in Katie's surgery and you're going to take it , " Derek's tone left no room for arguments.

Frustrated with her inability to get him to change his mind, she stormed off in the opposite direction.

He knew the minute she walked into the operating room that she wasn't regretting his decision. She stood off to the sides at first, nervous, and he waved her over to stand beside him. She came hesitantly, but she did come all the same. He was glad his surgical mask didn't betray his smile. Their eyes met in a look he'd never experienced before. Everything around them just kind of faded away and it was him and her alone in the OR. If he didn't know before, he was now fully aware of the fact that the tiny little blonde, who was messy and stubborn, had totally captured his heart.


End file.
